The Broken Times
by BrianHG
Summary: The Charmed Ones are summoned to a dark future, but even they may not be able to save it. Featuring all four of the Charmed Ones, along with Cole, Wyatt, and Leo. Now complete.
1. Destiny Deferred

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed or any of its characters. I do not intend to make any money from this story.  
  
Warning: This story will contain a scene in which a demon comes close to sexually assaulting one of the Charmed Ones. I don't promise that it will be comfortable to read (it certainly won't be easy to write), but I feel it is necessary to the story. If that offends you, I would advise against reading this story.  
  
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**Halliwell Manor. January 4, 2006. 9:03 PM.  
**  
  
"There!" Piper shouted as she gestured at the coffee table. It exploded violently, showering the room in wood fragments.  
  
Phoebe spun around and kicked a chest of drawers, smashing it. The two Charmed Ones looked wildly around the room, but the threat was eliminated. Phoebe sighed with relief.  
  
"I think we did it." She smiled and rested her hand on the wall. Suddenly, she tensed as a vision came to her.   
  
"Phoebe?"  
  
"Oh no."  
  
"What's wrong?" Piper asked, taking a step towards her.   
  
"I saw—" Phoebe began, but as she spoke, the electricity cut out.  
  
"Oh no."  
  
"…That," Phoebe finished. "It cut the power lines."  
  
"Now what?" Piper asked, standing back-to-back with Phoebe.  
  
"Just hold this thing back until Paige gets here," Phoebe said.   
  
In a corner of the room, a demon rose from the floor. "Nice try. But you can't stop me."  
  
The demon smiled as it walked towards them, but they could barely see that through the shadow that wrapped itself around the demon's body like a cloud of smoke. The only clear feature were the two black voids where its eyes should have been.  
  
Paige orbed into the room at that moment.   
  
"Did you find Wyatt?" Piper asked, glancing at Paige.  
  
"He's safe."  
  
"Look," The demon growled, "You can't defeat me, and I'll kill the boy no matter what you do. Just make it easy on yourselves, and bring him to me."  
  
Piper put her hands up and froze the demon, but it started to break free almost instantly.  
  
"Hurry," Phoebe said, handing Paige a slip of paper.   
  
The three witches read the spell. "Your shadows fall, and hear no call. You lived by night, but die in light."  
  
A bright flash filled the room, and the demon fell to the ground. It screamed in rage and pain. A blue glow began to surround the Charmed Ones.   
  
"Do you feel that?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Just keep going!" Paige shouted, pointing at the demon. It was back on its feet, and preparing to attack.   
  
"Your shadows fall—" The three women chanted, but the spell went unfinished. The blue glow grew and enveloped them, and they vanished.  
  
  
**Behind P3. January 4, 2026. 9:04 PM.   
**  
   
"We can't wait anymore," Prue said, turning to her companion. He was a young man, with dark hair and eyes, and he had a muscular frame. He wore a black trench coat, and there was a ring with a large pearl on his finger.   
  
"I know." He checked his watch one more time. "Start the spell."  
  
The two of them stood together and held hands. They began to chant the words of a spell. "Out of dark, out of time, bring us three of the Halliwell line. In their time they lost the fight, but send them here and turn mistakes to right." There was a slight pause, then a blue light began to glow nearby. It grew quickly, and soon the two witches were unable to look any longer. When the light subsided, Piper, Paige, and Phoebe were standing in its place.  
   
The three Charmed Ones looked at their new surroundings. They were outside, in an alley. Two dilapidated buildings rose up on either side. The street nearby was littered with broken glass and used fast food containers, but the ground in the alley was unusually clean. Phoebe was the first to notice the two witches standing a short distance away.  
   
Phoebe gasped. Piper and Paige immediately turned their attention to see what she was looking at.  
   
"Prue?" Piper asked, her voice wavering.   
  
Prue smiled as tears began to form in her eyes. "I've missed you so much."  
  
Piper and Phoebe ran to her. Phoebe and Piper wrapped their arms around Prue, and Prue held them both. The three sisters cried together, unable to speak. The lost sister had returned, and for a moment, the universe was perfect.  
   
Phoebe rested her head on Prue's shoulder and tried to talk. "We wanted to see you after… but they wouldn't let us. We couldn't…"  
  
"I know," Prue said, running her hand through Phoebe's hair. "It's okay."  
  
Prue hugged them for a moment longer before she let go. Reluctantly, Piper and Phoebe let go as well and stepped back.  
   
"Hi," Paige said softly.   
  
"Paige," Prue said. "I'm so glad you found Piper and Phoebe."  
  
Paige smiled. "I just wish we'd met sooner."  
  
"You have no idea." Prue looked over at her other sisters for a moment before she turned back to Paige. "But we're together now, and that's what matters."  
  
Prue put her arm around Paige, but it was not the carefree embrace that Prue had shared with her other sisters. For Paige, the sister that she had never known had suddenly come back to life, and that was too much to ask anyone to deal with so quickly.  
   
"Prue," Piper said. Prue let go of Paige and looked at Piper. "I don't mean to be pessimistic or anything, but this seems to good to be true. What's going on? And why are we here?"  
  
Prue glanced over at the young man who had been standing off to the side. "It's a long story." "Just tell them how you got here," The man said. "We can explain the rest later."  
  
"And who are you?" Piper demanded.   
  
"That isn't important now," He said.   
  
"Like hell," Piper said, taking a few steps towards him. "If this is some kind of demonic trick, I swear--"  
  
"Piper, don't," Prue said.   
  
"No, it's all right. I'd be saying the same thing in her place." He sounded calm, but there was an injured look in his eyes.   
  
Piper didn't back down, but her voice was softer when she spoke again. "You still didn't answer."  
  
"Piper, don't you recognize me?"  
  
"Recognize you?" Piper looked at him, and he did look familiar. She couldn't remember exactly where she had seen him before. Then she looked into his eyes, and realization dawned. "No… you can't be…"  
  
"What?" Phoebe asked.   
  
"I'm sorry," The man said.  
  
"Who are you!?" Piper shouted.  
  
"You know who I am." He said. "My name is Wyatt Halliwell, and this is January 4th, 2026. You were summoned here because we need your help."  
  
"No…" Piper shook her head.   
  
"Piper, what's wrong?" Phoebe asked.  
  
Piper looked back at her sister. "If we were still alive, they wouldn't have to summon us."


	2. Allies in Loss

"What?" Paige asked.  
  
"She's right," Prue said. "You were killed twenty years ago, by a shadow demon."  
  
"But we were just fighting that demon," Phoebe said.  
  
"We know," Wyatt said. "We summoned you from just before your deaths to make sure that we didn't change history. We didn't want it to become any worse than it already is."  
  
"How did it happen?" Pheobe asked. "We had a vanquishing spell."  
  
"Something must have gone wrong," Wyatt said. "I don't know what, because I wasn't there."  
  
"You don't know either?" Piper asked, looking at Prue.  
  
Prue shook her head. "The undead can't remember anything that happened while they were dead."  
  
"Wait," Phoebe said. "Did you just say 'undead'?"  
  
"Three years ago, a necromancer found my body, and turned me into a zombie. He tried to make me kill an innocent. If Wyatt hadn't stopped me, I would have been a slave forever."  
  
"You were a zombie?" Piper asked.  
  
"I still am, technically," Prue said.  
  
"You don't, like, hunger for the brains of the living, do you?" Paige asked.  
  
"Not anymore."  
  
"We should go inside," Wyatt said. "It's not safe out here."  
  
"Come on," Prue said as she turned to go into P3. The others followed her, with Wyatt walking well behind the others.  
  
Piper looked around. The interior was lit brightly, but there were only a few people. There was no music.  
  
"Looks like P3 is closed," She said.  
  
"For the last ten years," Prue said.  
  
"Who are they?" Paige asked, looking at the people sitting around one of the tables that remained.  
  
"That's our coven," Prue answered. The four people at the table got up as Prue and her sisters approached.  
  
A tall woman with blonde hair and a mole on her neck walked over to Prue. She had a ring like Wyatt's. "You did it."  
  
"That's right." Prue was smiling again. "Everyone, these are my sisters: Piper, Paige, and Phoebe."  
  
A blonde man with blue eyes stepped forward. He was older than Wyatt, but not as large. "You're the all-powerful Charmed Ones?"  
  
"Yes, we are," Piper said.  
  
"I thought you'd be taller." He let out a short laugh, then shook their hands. "I'm Kevin, and this is my sister, Jill."  
  
"Hi." The tall woman said.  
  
An older, heavyset woman was standing next to Kevin and Jill. Her hands appeared rough with use, and her hair was dark gray. She shook hands with the three newcomers, and they were all surprised with the strength of her grip. "I'm Margaret. Just call me Maggie."  
  
Suddenly, Jill seemed to remember something. She quickly glanced around the room. "Where's Wyatt?"  
  
"Oh no," Prue said.  
  
Kevin put his hand on Maggie's shoulder. The woman had her eyes closed, and almost seemed asleep. "Maggie?"  
  
"Quiet," She said. The room was silent for a moment. Maggie's eyelids tightened briefly before she opened them. "It's okay, he's just checking things out in the alley."  
  
"He's crazy." Jill crossed her arms. "Tell him to get back in here."  
  
"He's coming," Maggie said.  
  
Prue glanced over at her sisters. "P3 is protected by fairy magic, but they can't help us when we go outside."  
  
Wyatt stepped through the door a moment later.  
  
"Hey!" Jill stormed over to the foot of the stairs. "What were you thinking?"  
  
Wyatt walked the rest of the way down the stairs, and came face-to-face with Jill. "I was making sure that nobody saw us. Did you forget that there are demons out there hunting witches?"  
  
"No, I didn't," Jill said. "What do you think I was worried about?"  
  
"I can take care of myself."  
  
"We know. You don't have to prove it."  
  
"I've already proven it." Wyatt walked around her, and joined the others near the table. Jill reluctantly followed.  
  
"Hey Wyatt, congratulations on the spell," Kevin said.  
  
"Thanks." Wyatt looked at Phoebe and Paige. "Did they tell you why we summoned you?"  
  
"We didn't have a chance, yet," Prue said.  
  
Wyatt nodded. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but things are going badly. Evil is winning the war, and we don't think we can change that without your help."  
  
"So. do you want us to go back in time and fix what went wrong?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"No, that won't work," Wyatt said. "The only way for you to go back is to reverse the spell completely. That would erase any memories you have of this time."  
  
"Then what do you want?" Paige asked.  
  
"I have a plan to turn things around, but we'll need a lot more power than we have now. The Source is building an army, and we'll have to do the same if we want to win." Wyatt paused. "We can't unify the covens until we've proven ourselves. We have to build a reputation to show the other witches around the world that working with us won't get them killed."  
  
"We're the Charmed Ones, doesn't that count?" Paige said.  
  
"Not after what happened," Wyatt answered. "When you got killed, everything started going wrong. Now, the other witches are afraid. They need heroes now, just like everyone else. Being who you are gives you a chance, but we'll need a few solid victories to make your names mean something again."  
  
"Victories?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Demons captured your house," Jill said. "They're using it as some kind of base of operations. We plan to take back the house, along with the Book of Shadows."  
  
"Jill," Kevin said. "Don't steal the man's thunder."  
  
"They have the Book of Shadows?" Piper asked, shocked.  
  
"There were six high-level demons." Wyatt said. His jaw tightened. "I tried to hold them off, but I was only twelve, and alone. I was lucky to get out alive."  
  
"What about Leo?"  
  
Wyatt scoffed. "Right. Leo."  
  
Prue looked uncomfortable, and a silence fell over the room. Wyatt turned away from the others.  
  
Piper's voice shook when she finally spoke. "Did something happen to Leo?"  
  
"Demons didn't just take over the house," Prue said, "They took over everything. There aren't any whitelighters anymore."  
  
"No." Phoebe shook her head. "No. That's impossible. They can't all be."  
  
"But." Paige stammered. "I thought demons couldn't. get up there."  
  
"A warlock stole the power to orb from a dying whitelighter," Prue said. She spoke slowly, as though she were reliving a painful memory. Consciously, she only knew what Wyatt and others had told her, but her spirit had watched it all happen. Nothing could change that. "We think he was working with a darklighter, but we aren't sure. It all happened so quickly."  
  
"Only a few whitelighters escaped," Wyatt said. "The ones that survived are hiding out now. It was the only way they could live to protect future generations. They'll only come back when the balance of power is back in our favor. or when good loses all hope."  
  
"If we lose, they'll come back to comfort the innocent during the end times," Prue said.  
  
"Don't worry," Kevin said softly, "We'll win." 


	3. The First Battlefield

The room was silent again as everyone contemplated the future. What they were about to do was dangerous, beyond anything they had even attempted before. Halliwell Manor was a center of spiritual energies; a center of magic. It was a source of strength for whoever controlled it, and evil now held it more firmly than any other place on Earth.  
  
The three younger Charmed Ones weren't aware of that, but their future seemed just as uncertain. They had been thrust into a world that they knew nothing about, and had been told that going home meant certain death. Even worse though was the knowledge that the safety of that world rested largely on their shoulders.  
  
Prue looked up, and spoke quietly to the others. "We should get ready. We don't want the Source finding out about us before we attack."  
  
"I agree," Wyatt said. "We'll have to go over the strategy in detail, and run some drills."  
  
"I'll handle that. Why don't you help Piper make some potions?" Prue asked.  
  
"No." Wyatt shook his head. "Maggie knows more about potions than I do. Besides… I need to practice with the rest of you."  
  
"Wyatt." Maggie's voice was sharp. "You've done nothing but practice for as long as I've known you. Now, you just take a minute and get those potions together. We'll be in the back if you need us."  
  
Before Wyatt could react, Maggie was already leading the others out of the room. His mind was barely registering what had happened when another realization came to the forefront of his thoughts: He was now alone with the mother that he hardly knew.  
  
"Well…" Piper said.  
  
"Well," Wyatt said. "We keep the potion ingredients behind the bar now."  
  
"Great." Piper stood watching Wyatt for a moment. Then she followed him to the bar.  
  
Wyatt started pulling out some ingredients. He didn't look up at Piper. "We've come up with some potions on our own, since we lost the book. We have one that can stun a demon for a few seconds, and I'm hoping that we can use it to buy some time. We'll need a lot to make any difference, though."  
  
"Do we have everything we need?"  
  
Wyatt briefly studied the bottles of ingredients. "We should be fine."  
  
"So… what have you been doing?"  
  
"Fighting the Source, and trying to stay alive." Wyatt pulled a pot out from behind the bar, along with a hot plate. "What else would I be doing?"  
  
"I'm sorry…" Piper began.  
  
"Oh?" Wyatt said. He didn't take his eyes off the water that was heating in the pot. "Could you get out twelve Raven feathers?"  
  
"Uh, sure." Piper opened a bottle full of black feathers and starting counting some out.  
  
"I'm hoping to we'll be able to make our move in a couple of days. Will you and your sisters be ready by then?"  
  
"We can be."  
  
"Good, we can't risk making any mistakes this time."  
  
"We'll be careful."  
  
Wyatt finally looked at her. His eyes were piercing, evaluating. "I'm sure."  
  
**********  
  
Prue closed the door after they had all filed into one of P3's larger store rooms. It was stocked mostly with food, water, and spell ingredients now. Maggie sat on a crate in the corner, while Jill and Kevin leaned against a bare wall. Paige and Phoebe stood near the middle, looking around.  
  
"If we'll be working together, you should probably know what our powers are," Jill said. "Prue already told us about yours."  
  
"That's probably a good idea," Phoebe said.  
  
Jill looked over at her brother. "Kevin's power lets him control light. He can make all kinds of illusions."  
  
"Watch," Kevin said. He made a quick motion with his hand, and he vanished. The others heard soft footsteps moving over to the opposite wall, where Kevin became visible again. "What do you think?"  
  
"Very nice," Paige said.  
  
"That was nothing." Kevin motioned towards Jill. "Jill's power makes her much stronger and faster than any normal human."  
  
"By how much?" Phoebe asked.  
  
Jill turned around and opened a toolbox that was sitting on a shelf next to her. She pulled out a large, metal wrench, with a handle nearly an inch and a half wide. She placed one hand on each end, then pulled them away from each other. The metal stretched and distorted under the stress, until it finally snapped in half.  
  
"Whoah," Phoebe said, while Paige stood agape.  
  
"That's my sis." Kevin smiled.  
  
"What about Maggie?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I'm a telepath," Maggie said. "I can read minds and communicate over a distance. My power can confuse or distract, too."  
  
"Maggie's half empath," Prue explained.  
  
"I thought empaths had to be chosen." Pheobe said.  
  
"The gift isn't usually inherited." Maggie shifted her weight, causing the box to creak under her. "I guess being half witch changes things."  
  
"You're tellin' me," Paige said.  
  
"So what's the plan?" Pheoebe asked.  
  
  
**Halliwell Manor. January 4, 2006. 10:17 PM.  
**  
  
"Paige!" Chris looked around, but there was no sign of her or her sisters. "Leo!"  
  
Chris waited. Leo orbed in after a few moments.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I can't find the girls," Chris said. "I tried calling Paige, but she didn't orb in. Do you know what happened?"  
  
Leo looked up for a moment, communicating with the other Elders. "We aren't sure. They just disappeared."  
  
"What about the shadow demon?"  
  
"It's still out there," Leo said.  
  
"Wyatt isn't safe as long as that thing is around." Chris clenched and unclenched his fist. "Where is he? I'll orb him out. …He'll be safer up there while we look for Piper and the others."  
  
"No, I'll take care of Wyatt. I want you to get one of your other charges and try scrying for the Charmed Ones. If that doesn't work, go to the underworld and try again there. The shadow demon might be holding them."  
  
"All right," Chris said. "I just hope we can find them in time."  
  
"Don't worry about them, they've fought stronger demons before." Leo sighed. "But be careful. Evil might have a bigger plan than we think."  
  
Chris watched Leo orb out. He took one last look around, then he orbed out as well.


	4. Like A Demon That is Dreaming

Piper heard a voice whispering, and she slowly opened her eyes. She saw a human shape crouching next to her cot. Her vision began to clear, and she realized that it was Prue.  
  
"Hi," Prue said quietly, trying not to disturb the others who were still asleep on the cots and mattresses that now filled P3's dance floor.  
  
"Hi," Piper whispered. She had only slept lightly, and there was little sign of grogginess in her voice.  
  
"How are you doing?" Prue asked.  
  
"Just fine." Piper yawned. "Except for the fact that I've been dead for twenty years, and now my son hates me. And my husband is dead or hiding. And evil is winning. And we don't even have the Book of Shadows anymore."  
  
"But you're alive now, your son doesn't really hate you, and we're going to turn things around."  
  
Piper sat up on the cot. "How can you be so confident?"  
  
"We've been in tough situations before, and we've always found a way. We can find a way through this."  
  
Piper reached out and put her arms around Prue. "At least you're back. If you can come back… maybe we have a chance after all."  
  
"We were strong when we had the power of three." Prue sat next to Piper on the cot, and put her arm over her shoulder. "With the power of four, we'll be invincible."  
  
The two of them sat together in silence, looking out over the room. Piper's eyes drifted to Wyatt's cot, and she wondered if she should say what was really on her mind. She had an idea of what he was going through, but that didn't change her feelings. Deep down, she knew that she couldn't keep her emotions hidden.  
  
Piper took a deep breath. "Prue, why won't my son talk to me?"  
  
"He's going through a lot right now." Prue hugged her gently. "He just needs some time."  
  
"I know. But it's so hard to watch him going through this, knowing that there's nothing I can do."  
  
"Just being here is enough. You're helping him more than you know."  
  
"You always know what to say." Piper rested against Prue.  
  
Prue smiled. "I'd better let you sleep. We'll have a lot of work to do tomorrow."  
  
"Goodnight," Piper said.  
  
"Goodnight."  
  
Prue got up and walked back to her mattress. Both of them soon fell into deep, dreamless sleep.  
  
Piper awoke six hours later to the smell of fresh coffee and frying eggs. She stretched, then looked around. Kevin was the only one still asleep. Her sisters were sitting at a table together talking, while Maggie stood at the bar making breakfast. Wyatt and Jill were sitting on stools across from Maggie.  
  
"Oh, Piper's up!" Phoebe said. She got an extra cup of coffee and brought it to Piper. "Morning."  
  
"Good morning," Piper said, warily. It was far too early to talk to someone in such a good mood.  
  
"Here." Phoebe handed Piper the coffee cup. "Maggie makes the best coffee."  
  
"Thanks." Piper sipped the hot beverage. She quickly felt more alert.  
  
"Almost everyone's up," Maggie said, "As usual."  
  
"Kevin!" Jill shouted. "Time to get up!"  
  
There was a groan from his cot. "Yes, drill sergeant."  
  
"I'm not your drill sergeant," Jill said.  
  
"I know," Kevin sat up. "He had a better disposition."  
  
"All right," Wyatt said. "We should get to work."  
  
Prue levitated a cup of coffee, and caused it to float towards him.  
  
"Thanks Prue," Kevin said. He took a drink, then went to sit with the others at the bar. The four Charmed Ones got up and found barstools of their own.  
  
"I think we should make out move today," Wyatt said.  
  
"Today?" Prue asked. "But my sisters just got here."  
  
"I know, but I think we're as ready as we ever will be. Waiting could be dangerous."  
  
"I'm with Wyatt. I think we can do this," Jill said. "Besides, don't you guys want to live in a house again. I am sick of living in this run-down old club… no offense, Piper."  
  
"None taken."  
  
"I have a question," Paige said.  
  
"What is it?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"We're going to be attacking in two groups, right? So why aren't we orbing in separately?"  
  
"Because you're the only one who can orb." Wyatt said. He looked away for a moment, absently turning the ring on his finger. "I haven't been able to orb since I lost my father."  
  
"That's so sad," Phoebe said.  
  
"No kidding." Wyatt set his coffee cup on the bar. "There's one other thing before we go."  
  
Wyatt reached into his trench coat and took out a dagger. It had a silver blade and a gold handle, with a small, liquid-filled globe at the bottom. The blade was two inches long, with a pentagram engraved on one side, and an arcane symbol on the other. He held it up to show the other witches.  
  
"This dagger was made to combat evil. The silver blade, symbols for good magic, and holy water are all supposed to make it more effective against demons." He placed the dagger in its sheath, then set it on the bar. He took out two sheathed daggers and set them beside it. "You should all carry one."  
  
"A gypsy gave them to us after we saved her life," Kevin said.  
  
Phoebe picked up one of the knives, and looked at it.  
  
"They seem pretty effective," Prue said.  
  
"Couldn't hurt," Paige said, taking one. Piper picked up the   
  
"Looks like we're ready," Jill said.  
  
"Great," Prue said, joining hands with the rest of the coven. "Time to kick some house-stealing demon asses."  
  
Paige orbed, taking the rest of the group with her. They materialized in front of the house. Paige orbed again, this time taking only Jill and Kevin. Wyatt immediately raised his force field over the remaining group as they walked towards the front door.  
  
Three demons shimmered onto the lawn in front of them. The demon in the center stepped forward.  
  
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"  
  
"I can answer that," Piper said. She gestured with her hands, causing the demon to explode.  
  
"Any other questions?" Prue asked.  
  
An energy ball formed in the hand of a demon. He threw it at Piper, but Prue deflected it, striking the other demon. Wyatt threw his dagger at the last demon. Flames leapt up and consumed the demon, while Prue used her power to retrieve the knife.  
  
"Well, they know we're here," Phoebe said.  
  
"Good." Wyatt led the group forward. "Piper, get the door."  
  
The door exploded inward, and the five of them rushed in. A dozen warlocks blinked in behind them, and darklighter arrows flew in from the stairway and the adjoining rooms. Eight demons formed a line in front of them.  
  
Arrows and energy balls smashed into the shield, uselessly. Demons and darklighters began to explode, while Prue used her power to deflect the incoming fire, hitting anything that moved.  
  
A blast of fire erupted from one of the demons, forcing the witches to shield their eyes. Maggie concentrated on the source of the flame, and the demon collapsed to the floor. Wyatt's knife flew out again, vanquishing it.  
  
Phoebe slashed at a pair of warlocks that had gotten too close. Only one of them blinked out in time. She began throwing potions, and almost immediately two more warlocks were rendered immobile. An energy ball looped around the shield and struck one of them.  
  
Powerful bolts of electricity began to rain down on them from the top of the stairway. Wyatt's shield wavered, but he waved his hand to stabilize it. Prue's knife jumped from its sheath, and she directed it up the stairway. It struck the two remaining darklighters, and finally vanquished the lightning demon.  
  
Piper froze the last four warlocks. They began to break free, but not quickly enough. Phoebe, Piper, and Maggie struck with their knives, and the last of the opposition was vanquished.  
  
"That was too easy," Wyatt said, surveying the battle-torn living room.  
  
"That's your idea of easy?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Come on." Wyatt began walking towards the kitchen, while Prue telekinetically picked up the thrown daggers. "They probably have stronger demons waiting for us."  
  
The witches heard a voice that seemed to emanate from the air around them. "Well done."  
  
Phoebe looked around. "No, it can't be…"  
  
As the five of them entered the kitchen, more demons and warlocks appeared all around them. A handful of bats flew down from the ceiling, and transformed into vampires.  
  
Then, flames leapt from the floor, and one last demon appeared.  
  
"Cole." Phoebe glared at him. "Where the hell did you come from?"  
  
"Surprise." Cole smiled. "Welcome home." 


	5. The Tales Books Tell

"Phoebe, you know this demon?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"We go way back. Right Pheebs?"  
  
"He's my ex-husband," Phoebe said.  
  
"Of course, she still has a soft spot for me. She just can't show it with the rest of you around."  
  
"Why can't you just stay dead?" Phoebe said, still glaring.  
  
"You know, I think it was all that spirit that made me fall in love with you." Cole said. "That, and those little chipmunk sounds you make when you get really excited."  
  
"Don't you get it?" Piper asked. "She doesn't want you. She will never want you. So why don't you just leave us alone?"  
  
"What makes you think I want her back? Until a few minutes ago, I thought she was dead." The smile faded from Cole's face. "And I hate being wrong."  
  
Cole punched the shield surrounding them, and it wavered under the force of the blow. Wyatt's eyes widened. He tried to stabilize the shield, but it was too late. Cole struck again, and the shield collapsed.  
  
Wyatt waved his hands to bring the force field back, but Cole threw an energy ball before it full reform, and Wyatt was thrown back into the living room, unconscious. Another energy ball began to form in Cole's hand.  
  
"Get down!" Phoebe shouted, dodging the blast.  
  
"Paige!" Piper called.  
  
Suddenly, one of the darkened windows exploded inward as Jill leapt through. Light filled the room, destroying the two vampires. The demons began throwing energy balls at anything that moved.  
  
Paige orbed in. "Energy ball!"  
  
The magic sphere orbed into her hand, and she threw it at Cole. He paid no attention to the attack.  
  
"Paige!" Piper shouted again, taking cover on the other side of the wall. An energy ball flew past. "Paige! Wyatt's hurt!"  
  
"Oh no." Paige orbed into the living room next to Piper.  
  
"He's over there." Piper pointed. "Hurry!"  
  
A warlock blinked in between them, and drew a knife. His explosion nearly threw Paige off her feet as she ran over to Wyatt. Piper began blasting demons with even greater ferocity as Paige attempted to heal Wyatt.  
  
Jill dodged a pair of energy balls, seemingly unafraid of the demons trying desperately to kill her. She kicked a demon in the chest hard enough to vanquish it. Her dagger found another before it had a chance to realize what was happening.  
  
Maggie was crawling along the floor with her knife in one hand, hoping to remain unnoticed in the chaos. Her target was a warlock, writhing in pain from the mental attack being focused on it. A stray energy ball struck the wall above her, and the warlock blinked out while Maggie was distracted. She began focusing her powers on the next nearest demon.  
  
Prue's knife seemed to fly on its own, vanquishing demons and warlocks with frightening speed. She crouched behind the counter, watching carefully and directing the knife with her eyes. A demon saw what she was doing and shimmered to her. It threw an energy ball, but she deflected it. Her next arm movement sent the demon flying.  
  
"Energy ball!" Paige called. Another ball came to her, and she threw it at a demon that was attempting to corner Phoebe near the basement stairway.  
  
"Maggie, coordinate!" Wyatt shouted. Energy balls immediately began to pelt his shield, but they were not strong enough to take it down.  
  
Jill leapt over the counter, drawing fire away from Prue. She dodged easily, and reached Cole. Jill spun and lashed out with her foot, but Cole blocked the attack with his arm. She lunged with her knife, but Cole sidestepped, and knocked it out of her hand. She began kicking and punching furiously, but he always seemed to be ahead of her. Cole saw an opening in her defenses, and attacked. His punch threw her into the wall, smashing through it like cardboard. Jill slowly began to get back up, but an energy ball from another demon struck her before she could stand. She didn't move again.  
  
"No!" A male voice shouted. A knife, held by an invisible hand, buried itself in Cole's back. Cole laughed, and spun around to face his attacker. He blew a massive blast of fire in front of him, and Kevin fell to the floor.  
  
"Hey!" Prue shouted. Cole turned again, only to see her knife flying at him. He tried to throw an energy ball, but there was no time. The knife struck his heart.  
  
Cole winced and grabbed his forehead. Maggie was now bearing down on him. Piper threw her dagger at him, striking his abdomen. He shouted in pain. Cole began throwing energy balls blindly, trying to stop the wave of pain that was crashing in his mind.  
  
Paige orbed in near Cole, crouching to avoid the crossfire. Her dagger lodged in Cole's thigh before she went to heal Kevin.  
  
A warlock realized what was happening, and blinked behind Maggie. It grabbed her arm, and evil magic began to flow into her. She fell to the attack a moment later.  
  
Cole's head cleared. He opened his eyes again just as Phoebe planted her dagger in his chest. Smoke began to pour from his wounds. Cole looked down at the knife.  
  
"No, wait… this can't be. Phoebe-" Cole exploded, creating a shockwave that knocked Phoebe to the ground and destroyed what was left of the kitchen. The remaining demons shimmered out.  
  
Paige finished healing Kevin, then moved on to see if Maggie would be all right. Wyatt was already helping Jill to her feet.  
  
Jill looked around. "We won."  
  
"Barely," Piper said.  
  
"Maggie?" Paige asked.  
  
"I'm fine, thanks to you," Maggie said, sitting up.  
  
"Can you scan the house?" Wyatt asked.  
  
Maggie closed her eyes for a long moment. "We're alone."  
  
"Is anyone else hurt?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"No, not anymore," Maggie said.  
  
Kevin stood up, brushing off debris from the explosion. "Jill, you scared me back there."  
  
"Hey, what are sisters for?" Jill smiled.  
  
"I'm just glad I could make it in time to heal you," Wyatt said.  
  
"My hero," Jill said.  
  
"We should be thanking Paige," Wyatt said. "Without her, half of us wouldn't be here now."  
  
Kevin reached over and pulled open the dented and charred refrigerator. The handle came off in his hand. "Looks like they left us some wine. It probably won't stay cold very long in this broken fridge…"  
  
"In that case, we'd better open it," Prue said.  
  
"My thoughts exactly," Kevin said, popping the cork.  
  
"Hey, housewarming party," Paige said.  
  
Prue laughed, and started looking for undamaged glasses in the cupboards. Piper joined the search, and they quickly found enough assorted cups for everyone. Before long, nearly everyone was celebrating.  
  
"So, think we finally vanquished Cole?" Paige asked, sidling up to Phoebe.  
  
"I doubt it."  
  
"Yeah, me too," Paige said. "But we can hope. After all, this is the first time we've had the power of four to stop him."  
  
"You're right." Phoebe seemed to perk up. "Now that's a reason celebrate."  
  
The witches stood around in the demolished kitchen, drinking and talking through most of the morning. The party began to break up slowly, as each of them drifted off to get a shower, or to look around the house, or to start fixing the damage done in the battle.  
  
Wyatt had been the first to leave. He had gone into the basement to see if anything had been done to the nexus, though it still appeared to be protected by the cement floor. He had then gone back up, and asked Prue to show him the Book of Shadows. Phoebe went with them.  
  
"Right where we left it," Phoebe said, walking around the pedestal that held the book. Wyatt stood next to her, and opened the book. He began glancing at the pages, looking for any demons that he might recognize.  
  
"Amazing," Wyatt said. "Even after being here for all this time, they couldn't find a way to touch it."  
  
"There," Phoebe said. "Look."  
  
"The shadow demon," Wyatt said. "The one that would have killed you."  
  
"I wish I knew what went wrong," Phoebe said, looking at the spell that had been used against it. "It looked like a simple vanquish."  
  
"I'm sorry we couldn't tell you anything else," Wyatt said.  
  
"I know." Phoebe started to pick up the book. A premonition came to her as soon as she touched it.  
  
Phoebe saw the attic, with the Book of Shadows sitting open. Piper came into view, and a child was following close behind.  
  
"Is it gone?" The boy asked.  
  
"Yes, it's gone," Piper said, starting to close the book. "Chris!"  
  
Phoebe suddenly saw the book as it was closing, and realized that they hadn't been looking at the shadow demon's page. From the picture, it appeared half human, with the face of a jackal. Her premonition ended as the book fell shut.  
  
"Did you just have a premonition?" Prue asked.  
  
"Yes." Phoebe paused, trying to understand the vision. "I think we should talk to Piper."  
  
"What was it?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"Nothing," Phoebe said. "We can handle it."  
  
"You're sure?"  
  
"Yes," Phoebe said.  
  
"Don't worry," Prue said as they headed back downstairs. "We used to do this kind of thing all the time."  
  
Wyatt sighed as the door closed behind them. He went back to thumbing through the book. Before long, he was shocked by what he found. One of the pages had a picture that was all too familiar.  
  
Wyatt shut the book immediately. He looked away for a moment, then turned back to the page he had just seen. "Oh god." 


	6. Lies and Other Mistakes

Paige walked into the living room, trying to assess the damage. It would take time to clean up, but it wasn't as bad as it had initially appeared. The only real damage to the house was the hole in the wall where Jill had landed.  
  
She looked down, and saw a newspaper lying on the floor near an overturned end table. Paige picked up the paper, and noticed the large photo of a battleship on the front. She was disturbed by the headline, which said 'China Threatens US Shipping.'  
  
Paige started to read the article, but she looked up as Phoebe and Prue came down the stairs.  
  
"Paige, where's Piper?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"In the kitchen with Maggie," Paige said.  
  
The two sisters had nearly reached the kitchen when Wyatt came through the door above them.  
  
"Phoebe, can you help me with something?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"I really have to talk to Piper," Phoebe said. "Can it wait?"  
  
"No, it can't," Wyatt said.  
  
"What is it?" Prue asked, concerned.  
  
"Don't worry, we just have to take care of something at P3. We'll be right back."  
  
"All right," Phoebe said. "What do you need?"  
  
"What about the premonition?" Prue asked.  
  
"I don't think it's urgent," Phoebe said.  
  
"Paige, where's Maggie?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"She's in the kitchen," Paige said. "Will somebody tell me what's going on?"  
  
"Phoebe had a premonition," Prue said. "Something about Piper."  
  
"Is it bad?" Paige asked.  
  
"No." Phoebe paused. "Probably not."  
  
"Come on." Wyatt put up his force field, then headed into the kitchen. Phoebe followed him.  
  
Maggie and Piper were both standing over the oven when they arrived. The two of them were arguing about the contents of the large pot sitting on the stove.  
  
"No, it does _ not_ need green pepper," Piper said.  
  
"Ha," Maggie said. "I've been cooking since I was tall enough to reach the sink. Let me take care of the food."  
  
"Hey, I'm a professional. I've worked in restaurants, clubs-"  
  
"City food," Maggie said, sounding disgusted. She picked up a green pepper from the counter.  
  
"Maggie," Wyatt said, putting himself between her and Piper.  
  
"Wyatt, get outta the way," Maggie said. "I am trying to cook."  
  
"That's a laugh," Piper said.  
  
"Ugh, too many cooks," Phoebe said, putting up her hands.  
  
"Maggie, I need you to come P3 with us," Wyatt said.  
  
"What for?" Maggie asked.  
  
"I'll explain on the way," Wyatt said. "But it's important that we go right now."  
  
"Wyatt, why do you have your shield up?" Piper asked.  
  
"Because P3 probably isn't protected anymore, and I don't want to be caught by surprise," Wyatt said.  
  
"Piper, I need to talk to you when we get back," Phoebe said.  
  
"Sure, why?" Piper said.  
  
"I'll tell you later," Phoebe said.  
  
"Can we go?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"Yeah, fine," Maggie said, setting the pepper back down on the counter. "Just don't blame me if our dinner is bland."  
  
"We won't," Piper said with an edge of sarcasm.  
  
Wyatt, Maggie, and Phoebe quickly walked out of the manor. It was early in the afternoon. It was cold, even for January, and the sky was overcast.  
  
"Okay," Phoebe said, walking down the stairs next to Wyatt. "Can you tell us what's going on?"  
  
"Not just yet," Wyatt said. "I don't want anyone to overhear."  
  
"Overhear what?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Something that I want to keep between the three of us… at least until I know exactly what's going on."  
  
"Wyatt, you know I can't read you with your shield up," Maggie said.  
  
"I know," Wyatt answered. "Don't worry. I just need to clear something up."  
  
"But you can't tell us anything?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I will, as soon as the house is out of sight," Wyatt said. He looked down at the sidewalk for a moment as they walked toward the end of the block, heading in the general direction of P3. "Phoebe, can you force a premonition? If you focus on something, can you get a vision from it?"  
  
"I can try," Phoebe said, "But it doesn't always work."  
  
"Wyatt, you're starting to worry me," Maggie said.  
  
"We're both worried," Phoebe added.  
  
"Well," Wyatt said. "That makes three of us."  
  
Wyatt put a hand in one of the deep pockets of his coat, and made a fist. After a moment, the three of them went around the corner of a tall, brick building.  
  
"Phoebe," Wyatt said. "I-"  
  
Before he could finish, fire leapt from the ground next to them. A demon took shape from the miniature inferno.  
  
"Hold that thought," Cole said. "Phoebe, we have to talk."  
  
"No, you have to leave," Phoebe said. "Or we're going to vanquish you again. And we'll keep killing you until we find a way to make sure you don't back."  
  
"Good luck," Cole said.  
  
"We vanquished you," Wyatt said. "I saw you explode."  
  
"I got better," Cole said.  
  
Wyatt started to raise his force field over Phoebe, but Cole pulled her away before it could cover her.  
  
"Not this time." Cole flamed out, and took Phoebe with him.  
  
"No, Phoebe…" Wyatt said, staring at the ground that she had been standing on a moment ago.  
  
"We have to get back," Maggie said, turning towards the manor.  
  
Wyatt's attention snapped to her. "No."  
  
"What? You've lost your mind," Maggie said.  
  
Wyatt grabbed Maggie's arm, and pulled her back into the shadow of the building. "We have to take care of something first."  
  
"That demon just kidnapped Phoebe. Now let go of me."  
  
"Maggie, do you know how a demon was able to find us so quickly?"   
  
"How should I know?"  
  
"Maybe you can explain something else for me." Wyatt's grip tightened around the handle of the dagger hidden in his coat. "I was looking through the Book of Shadows, and I found a high-level demon with telepathic powers. That demon looked just like you."


	7. Eyes

"Wyatt, you know I'm not a demon," Maggie said, trying to pull away.  
  
"Prove it."  
  
"What?" Maggie looked away, then back at Wyatt. "Wait, you've healed me before. You couldn't do that if I was evil."  
  
"According to the book, you can regenerate," Wyatt said. "You could have been faking it."  
  
"Please, I don't know what's going on, but I'm not a demon."  
  
"We'll see." Wyatt drew the knife from his coat. "This will only hurt for a second."  
  
"No, Wyatt," Maggie backed up, shaking her head. "Don't hurt me. I'm not evil. Please."  
  
Wyatt struck with his dagger, and Maggie cried out. There was now a large, bleeding laceration on her upper arm.  
  
Wyatt studied the dagger's reddened blade. After a moment, he dropped his force field. "The dagger isn't making your blood boil… you can't be evil."  
  
"I told you that," Maggie said angrily as she held her arm.  
  
"Here." Wyatt put his hand over the wound, and healed it. "I'm sorry, but I had to be sure."  
  
Maggie glared at him. "Let's get back to the house. We have to find Phoebe."  
  
**********  
  
As the flames died down, Phoebe looked at the room she was in. It was Cole's apartment, but the windows had been boarded up, and everything was covered with dust.  
  
"Why did you bring me here?"  
  
"I know, the place is a mess, but the neighborhood really went to hell after you disappeared."  
  
"My sisters are going to find me."  
  
"You're probably right," Cole said. "I just don't care. I let them go last time, but if they get in my way, I'll kill them."  
  
"If you think you can win me back-"  
  
"I'm not trying to get you back," Cole said. "I brought you here because I want you to suffer as much as I did."  
  
Phoebe turned to look at him directly. She knew his eyes, and at that moment, she could see nothing but a burning hatred in them. "Cole… what happened to you?"  
  
"It was you, Phoebe." Cole stepped towards her, backing her up to the wall. "I wasn't evil when I first came back. I knew how to control my powers this time, I wouldn't let them corrupt me. But when I found out that you were dead, I didn't have any reason to deny my nature anymore."  
  
"So that's it," Phoebe said. "I'm gone, and you turn evil. You weren't good, Cole. A good person wouldn't do that."  
  
"You might be right. I fought it at first, but evil was always there. Even when I killed the shadow demon, I was only doing it for revenge." Cole put his hands on her shoulders, and held her against the wall. "And all along, you're the one I should have wanted revenge against. You're the only one who can hurt me."  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
Cole slid the strap of her purse off her shoulder. "When I first heard that you were alive, for a second I thought you'd come back to me. That's when I knew I had to kill you, because it's the only way I can be free."  
  
"You don't want to kill me," Phoebe said. "You would've done it by now."  
  
"I would have, until you put that knife in my chest." Cole ran his hand through her hair, his touch perversely gentle. "Killing you isn't enough anymore. After all the pain you've caused me, I won't let you off that easily."  
  
"Cole, stop," Phoebe said as his grip tightened around her arm. His other hand grasped her chin, forcing her to look at him. As he made contact, Phoebe felt another premonition overpower her senses.  
  
She saw herself back at the manor, in the attic. Paige and Piper stood next to her, and Cole was facing them. They were standing around the pedestal that held the Book of Shadows, but now there were two books on it.  
  
"Wait," Paige said. "Isn't there a spell in here to bring back the dead?"  
  
Cole looked up at her. "Yes, but the magic in this book is evil. You can't use it."  
  
"Why not?" Paige asked.  
  
"Paige!" Piper said.  
  
"What?" Paige said. "If we use the spell for good, it can't really be evil, can it? We can still destroy the book after we cast the spell."  
  
"You can't be serious," Cole said.  
  
"Think about it," Paige said. "We could bring Prue back. What could be evil about bringing back a force of good?"  
  
"Maybe Paige is right," Phoebe said.  
  
"I want Prue back, but this…" Piper trailed off, looking at the cover of the book. "I don't know."  
  
"You don't know what kind of danger you're dealing with," Cole said. "It's too risky. You could destroy everything that she stood for."  
  
"She's our sister," Phoebe said softly. "We can't be objective about this."  
  
"You have to be," Cole said.  
  
"What if it was Phoebe?" Paige asked. "You'd do this for her."  
  
"Phoebe, you know I love you more than anything," Cole said. He looked at Paige. "But no, I wouldn't."  
  
Phoebe's premonition ended there. She looked at Cole in confusion as she attempted to give meaning to what she had seen.  
  
"You had a premonition," Cole said. "Tell me what you saw."  
  
Suddenly, Phoebe's nerves calmed, and there was no fear in her eyes when she looked at Cole. "No."  
  
"Tell me, and I might let you go."  
  
"You won't hurt me," Phoebe said. "You think if you can frighten me, and make me hate you, you'll be able to stop loving me. It won't work. I'm not giving up on you that easily. …Not this time."  
  
"There's no such thing as evil love."  
  
"I know. And I know that there is still a shred of goodness in you. My sisters wouldn't be alive now if there wasn't."  
  
"You really believe that?"  
  
"I know you, Cole. Deep down, you are a good man."  
  
Cole's grip tightened on her arms. "I was a demon for over a hundred years. That's what I know."  
  
"You stopped being evil when you fell in love." Phoebe gently pushed against his arms, and he let go. "Whatever happened to you, we can fight it."  
  
"Just get out," Cole said, turning away.  
  
"Cole…"  
  
An energy ball formed in his hand. He looked at it, then threw it against the door to the apartment. "Get out!"  
  
Phoebe paused, then walked to the massive hole that had been torn in the wall where the door had been. She looked back at Cole again, then left quietly.  
  
Cole walked over to one of the windows and looked out over the city. He stood there for only a few moments before a demon appeared behind him. The demon was slightly taller than Cole, and its head resembled that of a jackal.  
  
"That didn't go exactly as planned," The demon said.  
  
"Maybe not, but that won't change anything."  
  
"Really? The powers that be are worried about you." The demon moved closer to Cole, until it was breathing down his neck. "Will you be able to do what you've been sent to do?"  
  
"I admit it: I still love Phoebe." Cole turned away from the window and looked at the demon. "But I'm not about to do something stupid because of that. Now, leave me alone."  
  
"Fine, I've said what I came here to say. Just make sure you don't forget the consequences for disobeying." With that, the demon vanished. Cole turned back to face the window. 


	8. To Seek, To Find

Wyatt walked quickly into the manor, followed closely by Maggie. Kevin and Prue looked up from the floor nearby, where they had been cleaning up shards of a broken window.  
  
"What happened? Where's Phoebe?" Prue asked.  
  
"She was kidnapped by her demonic ex-husband," Wyatt said, continuing further into the house. Kevin and Prue dropped what they had been doing and followed.  
  
"Cole _ kidnapped_ her?" Prue asked.  
  
"It was sudden," Wyatt said. "He flamed in, said something about talking to her, and flamed out with her. We tried to stop him, but there was nothing we could do."  
  
Jill came running down the stairs. "Maggie, did you call me?"  
  
"Phoebe's in danger," Maggie said.  
  
"What?" Paige asked, coming in from the kitchen with Piper.  
  
"Cole took Phoebe," Prue said.  
  
"She didn't want to go with him, did she?" Piper asked.  
  
"Of course not," Paige said. "Did she?"  
  
"No," Wyatt said. "She threatened to vanquish him if he didn't leave."  
  
"We have to find her," Prue said. "Paige, can you sense her?"  
  
"No," Paige said.  
  
"What about you, Maggie?" Kevin asked. "Any luck?"  
  
"They could be anywhere." Maggie shook her head. "I've been trying, but I don't think I'll find her."  
  
"That's not all," Wyatt said. "There's something wrong with the Book of Shadows. It's either a fake, or the demons in the house managed to do something to it. For now, I don't think we should try using it."  
  
"Great, can anything else go wrong?" Paige said.  
  
"So what's the plan?" Piper asked.  
  
"Okay," Prue said, her mind racing. "Jill, can you scry for Phoebe?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll try," Jill said.  
  
"He probably won't make this easy," Prue said. "We should try some summoning spells, in case scrying doesn't work."  
  
"Good idea," Wyatt said. "Paige, do you have any idea where this demon might've taken her?"  
  
"Maybe," Paige said. "He might have gone to his old apartment… or the underworld."  
  
"We'll try orbing around, while Prue and Piper work on summoning Phoebe." Wyatt said. "Kevin, you're with us. What about you, Maggie?"  
  
"I'll keep looking telepathically," Maggie said.  
  
"Thanks," Wyatt said. "Ready Paige?"  
  
"Let's go," Paige said. Wyatt and Kevin took her hands, and the three of them orbed out.  
  
Paige took them high over the city, heading to Cole's apartment. In the twenty years that she had been gone, the landscape had changed. The San Francisco that she knew was gone, and now the city was only lightly populated, and many of those who remained were demons and warlocks. Abandoned buildings were the norm, rather than the exception, and decay was everywhere.  
  
The witches reached the apartment quickly. They had hoped to take Cole by surprise, and get Phoebe out before he knew what was happening, but any chance of that was lost when their orbs struck a force field protecting the building. They were deflected, and thrown downward. They reformed on the sidewalk just outside the building, and Kevin immediately used his power to conceal them.  
  
"Damnit!" Paige said as she became solid again.  
  
"Shhh!" Wyatt hissed, as a demon and a darklighter appeared on the street not far from them.  
  
"What whitelighter would be stupid enough to come here, even for a charge?" The darklighter asked.  
  
The demon brushed something off his suit as he looked around. "None of them. It must have been the half-breed that the Source warned us about."  
  
"A witch? Here?"  
  
"They're the Charmed Ones, you moron. They won't leave their sister to die."  
  
"There!" The darklighter shouted, raising his crossbow. The demon looked to see a red-haired woman crouching behind a bush at the corner of the building. An arrow struck the wall as the woman orbed away. The darklighter vanished, hoping to track the orbs. The demon looked around for a moment longer before shimmering out.  
  
"Well done," Wyatt said.  
  
"Hey, it's what I do." Kevin grinned.  
  
"Well, we know she's in there," Paige said.  
  
Wyatt raised his shield, and the three witches walked to the front door of the building. Wyatt studied the door for a moment, and decided to test its strength. He braced himself, then struck the glass door with his shielded fist.  
  
Wyatt's force field collapsed, and he was thrown to the ground by the protective magic covering the door.  
  
"Wyatt? Are you okay?" Kevin asked.  
  
Wyatt groaned. "Strong shield."  
  
Paige bent down to heal him, but it was unnecessary. The force field hadn't caused any serious injuries. Wyatt got back up.  
  
"We can't get through on our own," Wyatt said. "We'll need the power of three."  
  
"Right," Paige said, taking their hands. "Back to the house."  
  
They briefly became visible again as they began to leave. When they did, they heard a shout from within the building. They reformed, and saw Phoebe on the opposite side of the door, walking towards them.  
  
Wyatt, Paige, and Kevin watched as Phoebe approached unimpeded. Wyatt shouted a warning about the shield, but Phoebe didn't seem to understand him. He motioned for her to stop, only to see her pass through the doorway a moment later, unharmed.  
  
"Phoebe?" Paige said.  
  
"What happened to the demon?" Kevin asked.  
  
Phoebe paused, and the others noticed the sadness on her face. "Cole let me go."  
  
"He let you go?" Paige asked, furrowing her brow.  
  
"We can talk about this when we get back," Wyatt said. "We shouldn't stay here any longer than we have to."  
  
Wyatt and Phoebe joined hands, and Paige orbed them back to the manor. The reformed in the living room, where Maggie was sitting. Jill could be seen working in the kitchen.  
  
"Maggie?" Wyatt said.  
  
"What?" Maggie asked, her eyes tightly closed.  
  
"We found Phoebe," Kevin said.  
  
Maggie's eyes flew open. "Phoebe!"  
  
"Did you find-" Jill stopped in mid sentence as she came into the room and saw Phoebe. "You found her! Are you okay, Phoebe?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," Phoebe said. "Cole didn't hurt me."  
  
"Why is everyone shouting?" Prue asked as she started to come down the stairs with Piper. The two sisters saw Phoebe at nearly the same time.  
  
"Phoebe!" Piper said.  
  
"We were so worried about you," Prue said.  
  
"What happened?" Piper asked. "How did you get away from Cole?"  
  
"He let me go," Phoebe said. "He wouldn't hurt me."  
  
"He wouldn't hurt you?" Paige asked. "What about all those times he tried to turn you evil, or the time he changed history to make you marry him, or-"  
  
"I know," Phoebe said. "But there's something different about him now."  
  
"Yeah, now he's openly trying to kill us. Phoebe, you do remember what happened when we tried to take the house back, right?"  
  
Phoebe looked down for a moment. "He was holding back. He could have done a lot worse."  
  
"Phoebe, what are you saying?" Prue asked.  
  
"I'm not getting back together with Cole or anything," Phoebe said. "I just don't think he's completely evil now. He's fighting it."  
  
"So what if he is?" Paige asked. "We still can't trust him."  
  
"You're right," Phoebe said. "We can't."  
  
"We have another problem to worry about," Wyatt reminded them.  
  
"The Book of Shadows," Prue said. "We don't even know what they did to it."  
  
"Something happened to the Book of Shadows?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"It gave me some wrong information," Wyatt said. "I think it's been cursed, or it's a fake."  
  
"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Sort of," Wyatt said. "Don't worry though, Maggie and I took care of it."  
  
"So what can we do about the book?" Piper asked.  
  
"What about a ceremony to dispel evil?" Jill said. "If the book's cursed, that should reverse it. If it doesn't work, we can be pretty sure that it isn't the real Book of Shadows."  
  
"Sounds good," Prue said. "What do we need for the ceremony?"  
  
"It's like an exorcism," Kevin said. "We had one done to break a curse on our old meeting site, before we met you and Wyatt. All we need is someone who can perform it."  
  
"Like who?" Prue asked.  
  
"A witch doctor can do it," Jill said. "Or a priest. But I'm not sure where we'll find one now. Most of the magic-using community went underground after the whitelighters were destroyed."  
  
"We could try asking Oberon," Wyatt said. "He still has some connections."  
  
"…If he'll agree to see us," Kevin said.  
  
"I know someone we could call," Piper said. Piper and Prue quickly exchanged glances, and smiled. They had both been thinking the same thing.


	9. Day of the Dead

The attic was cold, and lit only by the light of candles. Five candles were arranged in a circle, forming the points of a pentagram, and the four Halliwell sisters sat within that circle. In the center was a cauldron with another circle of candles around it. A white fog poured out of the cauldron as the sisters prepared their spell.  
  
Prue held the athame, and pricked her finger. She allowed a few drops of blood to fall on the golden broach, then passed both the objects on to Piper. In turn, Piper, Phoebe, and Paige each added their blood to the small, red pool on the broach. Then, the sisters began to chant.  
  
"Penelope Halliwell  
  
Blood of our blood  
  
Our beloved grandmother  
  
We summon thee."  
  
Lights swirled around them, concentrating in one place. In an instant, a human form appeared within the light. The room darkened again, and their grandmother, alive again for a short time, was standing beside them.  
  
They greeted each other, and Penelope hugged each of them. It had been a long time, over twenty years from her perspective, since she had seen them. Even so, she didn't forget that she had been called for a reason.  
  
"Grams," Phoebe said as her arms relaxed. "It's great to see you again."  
  
"I've missed all of you, too," Grams said. "But they wouldn't have let me come if you didn't have a good reason for calling me. What's going on?"  
  
"It's the Book of Shadows," Prue said. "We think it was cursed by demons."  
  
"We thought, since you're a high priestess, you might be able to dispel the evil," Piper added.  
  
"I see," Grams said, walking over to the book. She looked at it for a moment, and seemed to be concentrating on it intently. She put her hand on the cover. Immediately, her body tensed and her eyes closed. Her eyes opened a moment later.  
  
"Did you have a premonition?" Prue asked.  
  
"Yes," Grams said. "I saw Piper in the attic with Wyatt in the past. He couldn't have been more than ten years old. I think you'd just vanquished a demon."  
  
"That's impossible," Prue said. "Piper wasn't alive when Wyatt was growing up."  
  
"I know," Grams said. "But I know what he looked like then. It was definitely Wyatt."  
  
"Maybe we're supposed to change history," Piper said. "Maybe he was never supposed to grow up alone."  
  
"I think you're right," Prue said. "But we still don't know how to do it. If we just send you back, things will still turn out the same way."  
  
"I don't know," Phoebe said. "But I got the same premonition. Whatever it means, it must be important. It could be the explanation for everything that's been happening here."  
  
"Unless it's a trap," Paige said.  
  
"A trap?" Prue asked. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Maybe this is just part of the curse," Paige said. "Cole knows what Phoebe's power is. When he cursed the book, he might've rigged a fake premonition."  
  
"Can he do that?" Piper asked.  
  
"There's an easy way to find out," Grams said. "I'll perform the ceremony for dispelling evil. If we get the same premonition again, we'll know it's real."  
  
"Well, we'd better get started then," Prue said.  
  
"This will probably work best in the basement," Grams said. "Being close to the nexus should help the positive energy flow to the rest of the house."  
  
"Great, lead the way," Phoebe said. Grams headed towards the door, with Prue next to her. Piper, Paige, and Phoebe walked close behind.  
  
They stopped in the living room, where the other four witches were waiting for them.  
  
"Wyatt," Grams said, holding her arms out to him. "Oh, it's good to see you face to face."  
  
"Ms. Halliwell," Wyatt said.  
  
"Call me Grams," She said, putting her arms around him. "You know Prue, Patty, and I were watching over you all these years. Well, most of your ancestors were too, but we were the closest."  
  
"Grams," Wyatt said, sounding unsure of himself. He looked at her for a moment, watching the expression on her face. "Thanks."  
  
"We were glad to," Grams said. "I know things have been rough for you, but we were always there, and we helped you when we could. You have some of the most powerful witches in history looking out for you. You don't have to worry all the time."  
  
Wyatt half-smiled at her. "I'll remember that."  
  
"Good." Grams smiled and pulled him close again. She spoke softly in his ear. "And you don't have to keep everyone out all of the time either."  
  
He looked at the floor, and answered just as quietly. "I know. I'll try not to."  
  
Penelope exchanged greetings with the other witches, and the group headed down to the basement. She went first, though she hesitated at the top of the stairs. The others hardly realized the danger that the nexus represented.  
  
"Hmm," Grams said as she descended the staircase. "Something doesn't feel right."  
  
"What do you mean?" Prue asked.  
  
"I'm not sure…" Grams thrust her hands forward quickly, using her power on the basement floor. A massive rent opened in the cement, and the Charmed Ones jumped, their hearts already pounding from the knowledge of what was trapped below them.  
  
"Don't worry, someone opened this long before we got here," Grams said. "The Woogy isn't here anymore, and it feels like most of the power from the nexus is gone too."  
  
"So what does that mean?" Jill asked.  
  
"It means that something in the underworld got a lot more powerful." Grams said.  
  
"I think I know who that was," Paige said, glaring at the chasm.  
  
Phoebe shook her head sadly. "If it can make me evil, I don't want to think about what it must have done to Cole."  
  
"Well, we can't worry about that now. I'm sure you and Cole will find a way to work it out. After all-" Grams winced. "After all, we've got a house to purify."  
  
"Wait," Phoebe said, coming the rest of the way down the stairs to stand next to Grams. "That isn't what you were going to say, was it?"  
  
"We've got work to do," Grams said.  
  
"It can wait," Phoebe said. "What were you going to say? 'After all' what?"  
  
"Phoebe, even I have to follow the rules sometimes. You'll figure it out when the time comes," Grams said. "Now, we really have to get going, or they'll take me back. Death isn't something you can just come back from whenever you feel like it."  
  
"Yeah. Tell that to Cole," Paige said.  
  
Grams looked back at Paige, and there was worry in her eyes. But she quickly turned back, and sat cross-legged in front of the fissure leading to the weakened nexus. Her back was straight, and her head tilted slightly upwards. Her arms were spread to the sides, in a way somewhat resembling the lotus position. She began to chant in a long-dead language. Waves of light began to emanate from her, and the waves were echoed by the nexus, like two stones dropped in a pool. After a few moments, Grams became silent, and the waves ceased. She stood up, and turned to the others.  
  
"Well, that should take care of any curses on the house," Grams smiled. She looked rejuvenated.  
  
"Thank you so much. We don't know what we would have done without you," Phoebe said.  
  
"Yeah." Prue smiled. "Thanks."  
  
"I'm always glad to help." Grams walked over to Prue at the foot of the staircase. "Before I go, I just wanted to tell you not to be in a hurry to get back. You should treasure the time you're getting to spend with your sisters, even though we all miss you on the other side." Grams leaned closer. "Especially Andy."  
  
"Andy…" Prue said. "What happened with him after I died?"  
  
"You mean you don't remember?" Grams asked.  
  
"Well no, I'm undead."  
  
"I know, but you shouldn't just forget everything that happened," Grams closed her eyes for a moment, contemplating. "What was the name of that demon that brought you back?"  
  
"It called itself the Anubite," Prue said. "Why?"  
  
Grams eyes widened. "I- They're calling me. I really have to go back. Goodbye, all of you. I love-"  
  
Grams vanished before she could finish, and her gold broach fell to the floor. 


	10. The Fallen

The witches quickly went to the attic to check the Book of Shadows again. Phoebe was the first to reach it. Her eyes closed as her hand touched the cover of the book, and opened a moment later.  
  
"Did you see anything?" Kevin asked.  
  
"No, nothing," Phoebe said. She looked at her younger sister. "You were right, Paige."  
  
"Hey, am I good or what?" Paige smiled.  
  
"Good or paranoid," Piper said.  
  
"I'm not paranoid, I'm just… cautious," Paige said.  
  
"Speaking of caution," Prue said, "What do you think Grams was so worried about? I've never seen her like that."  
  
"I don't know," Phoebe said, moving so that Wyatt could reach the Book of Shadows.  
  
Wyatt started flipping through the pages of the book. "It must have had something to do with the Anubite. She must have known something about it that we don't know."  
  
"Do you think it's back?" Prue asked.  
  
"That wouldn't surprise me," Wyatt said.  
  
"You mean it wasn't vanquished?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"We couldn't find a way to destroy it," Wyatt said. "We still don't know why it left the first time."  
  
"We'll be ready this time. It can't beat the power of four," Prue said.  
  
Wyatt finished his search of the Book of Shadows. The page with Maggie's picture was gone now, along with a few others. Unfortunately, the book didn't mention the Anubite, either. He closed the book.  
  
"Find anything?" Jill asked.  
  
"No," Wyatt said. "But Prue's right. The Charmed Ones can handle it."  
  
"As long as all of us work together," Prue said.  
  
"Right," Paige said. "After all, there's no 'Charmed Ones' in 'team'."  
  
"So Wyatt," Jill said. "Do you think we broke the curse on the book?"  
  
"We must have," Wyatt said. "The page with the bad information is gone."  
  
"Then I think we should go on with the plan," Jill said. "The underworld knows we're here now, and fairy magic won't keep demons out for long."  
  
"You're right," Wyatt said. "Paige, I'll need your help again to find the other covens."  
  
"Sure," Paige said. "Maybe I can break the world record for orbing."  
  
"Thanks," Wyatt said. "I'll be ready to leave after dinner, but if you need to do anything first, we can wait."  
  
"I'm ready when you are," Paige said.  
  
"Sounds like we're finished here," Kevin said. "Let's eat."  
  
"Wow, with everything going on, I completely forgot about dinner," Phoebe said.  
  
"I didn't." Prue put her hand over her stomach. "I'm starving."  
  
"Don't worry, I've got the main course simmering as we speak," Piper said.  
  
"I still say it could use some green pepper," Maggie muttered.  
  
"Well, we'll just see about that," Piper said.  
  
The witches began to head downstairs. Wyatt stood off to the side. He took a deep breath, and gently touched Piper's shoulder.  
  
"Piper, can I talk to you for a minute?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"Of course," Piper said, turning to look at him. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing, I just… I thought we should talk."  
  
"I didn't think you wanted to talk to me," Piper said softly.  
  
"No. I mean, I wanted to." Wyatt turned away, unable to face the concern and sadness in her eyes. "Leo used to talk about you all the time. I was just a kid then, but I remember. He'd show me pictures of you, and tell me that you were the most loving person he'd ever known. He told me that the three of us had a bond that not even death could break, and I'd wonder if you were coming back. I kept imaging what would happen when I saw you again, until I realized that it wasn't going to happen. But now you're here, and I'm not sure how to feel."  
  
"Wyatt," Piper put her arm around him. "I know this isn't easy for you, and that's okay. We'll work through it."  
  
"You look just like you did in those pictures." Wyatt reached into his pocket, and pulled out a picture. It showed Piper holding Wyatt on his first birthday, and Leo's arms were around them. Piper and Leo were smiling, and Wyatt's hand was grasping the collar of Leo's shirt. "I think this was his favorite. He used to look at it when he thought I was asleep. He tried to be strong around me, but when he saw this picture…"  
  
Tears began to form in Piper's eyes. "You've kept that all this time?"  
  
"It's all I had," Wyatt said, his voice wavering as he gazed at his family in the picture. "Until I met Prue. She kept me going these last few years."  
  
"Remind me to thank her," Piper said.  
  
Wyatt looked at her, and put the picture back in his pocket. The two of them stood together in the attic, both of them needing time to come to grips with their emotions. Eventually, they went to join the others for dinner.  
  
The meal was quiet. Everyone had a great deal to think about, from the troubles in their own lives to the rice plague that was destroying China's economy. Of all of them, Kevin was the most worried: For the second time in his life, he was preparing to go to war.  
  
Eventually, dinner ended and everything had been put away. Paige and Wyatt walked into the living room together, and the others followed.  
  
"We'll be back late tonight," Wyatt said. "Hopefully, we won't be alone."  
  
"Goodbye," Piper said.  
  
"Good luck," Prue added.  
  
"Thanks," Wyatt said.  
  
"And hurry back," Jill said. "If we don't hear from you tonight the waiting'll kill us."  
  
"And by 'waiting'," Kevin said, "She means demons."  
  
"Very funny," Wyatt said.  
  
"Ready?" Paige asked.  
  
"Wait," Maggie said, standing up.  
  
"Maggie?" Wyatt said.  
  
"Just be careful," Maggie said.  
  
"Thanks Maggie. We will be," Wyatt said. "I'm ready, Paige. Let's go."  
  
Paige and Wyatt orbed out. The first coven that Wyatt wanted to contact was in Hong Kong. He'd spoken to them before, and they seemed to agree with his plan. With their help, getting the other covens to join would be much easier.  
  
The two of them rematerialized inside a burned-out building on the outskirts of the city.  
  
"What happened here?" Wyatt said. "The meeting site is destroyed."  
  
"It might have been an accident," Paige said, trying to sound hopeful.  
  
Wyatt turned around as he studied the ruined interior. On the rear wall, he saw a pentagram drawn in blood. "I don't think so."  
  
They started to search the wreckage that filled the room. Under a piece of the damaged ceiling, Wyatt found the witches he had been looking for. He checked for pulses, and tried his healing power. Paige ran over when she saw him crouching there.  
  
Wyatt stood up, shaking his head sadly. "They're all dead." 


	11. A Hell of Heaven

Paige and Wyatt rematerialized in a clearing. The leaves were gone from the trees, and light snowfall was starting to obscure any evidence of the Wiccan meeting site. This time Paige was the first to notice the blood pentagram that had been crudely drawn on one of the trees, but Wyatt found the bodies.  
  
"That's it," Wyatt said, sitting on a fallen tree that lay on the edge of the former meeting site. "It's over."  
  
"No, it isn't," Paige said. "We have to keep looking."  
  
"This is the last coven I was able to find. There's nowhere else to go," Wyatt said.  
  
"So we're just gonna give up? Let demons take over?" Paige asked.  
  
"I just talked to some of these covens yesterday." Wyatt swallowed. "Over a hundred witches dead, overnight. They must have known about the plan all along."  
  
"All right, then we'll make a new plan." Paige said. "There is a whole planet full of innocents out there depending on us."  
  
"I was afraid something like this would happen. The plan failed before it began." Wyatt looked at her. "There is one chance left. It's something Leo showed me once."  
  
"What?" Paige asked.  
  
"Up there," Wyatt said, looking at the thick layer of clouds overhead. "There's a vault protected by magic so strong evil could never penetrate it. The vault protects all the most valuable artifacts for the side of good, including an urn that holds the all the powers of the Greek gods. With those powers, no demon could stop us, not even the Source."  
  
"I thought only an Elder could release those powers," Paige said.  
  
"That's one of the rules, but in an emergency like this, any whitelighter can do it," Wyatt said. "But the protective powers on the vault will kill anyone else who tries to go in."  
  
"And where are we going to find a whitelighter?" Paige asked.  
  
"We're both half whitelighter," Wyatt said. "We can enter the vault."  
  
"Are you sure about that?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure," Wyatt said.  
  
"Then why didn't you mention this sooner?" Paige asked.  
  
"Because it's dangerous," Wyatt said. "The Source knows about the vault, and he'll be guarding it with everything he has. It'll be a miracle if we survive."  
  
"Wouldn't be the first time," Paige said.  
  
Wyatt glanced around the meeting site again. It seemed to grow more barren by the minute. "We should keep moving then. The faster we do this, the better."  
  
"Right, back to the house," Paige said, taking his hand.  
  
"No," Wyatt said. "We should orb up there now. We can't waste any time."  
  
"What about the others?" Paige asked. "If it's as dangerous as you say it is, we can't pull this off on our own."  
  
"We're the only ones who can enter the vault," Wyatt said. "And I don't want to risk any more lives than I have to."  
  
"Look, I get this whole super witch thing, but if your plan is going work, we'll need help," Paige said.   
  
"Do you think they can hold off the Source long enough for us to get the urn?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"We took out the Source before, you know," Paige said.  
  
"All right," Wyatt said. "We'll go back to the manor."  
  
Again, they orbed together. They crossed the vast stretches of the Atlantic ocean in moments, and reappeared in the living room of Halliwell manor. The rest of the coven was waiting for them there.  
  
"Where are all the witches?" Kevin asked.  
  
"There aren't any other witches," Wyatt said. "The other covens were wiped out before we could get to them."  
  
"Oh my god," Prue said.  
  
"What'll we do now?" Kevin asked. "We can't fight off a horde of demons on our own."  
  
"Maybe we can," Paige said. "If we could get a big enough power boost."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Prue asked.  
  
"The powers of the Greek gods," Wyatt said. "If we can get to them, we can stop the Source."  
  
"The Greek gods?" Jill said. "That's crazy. You know how well guarded the temple is going to be. We might as well just attack the underworld itself."  
  
"I know we don't have much of a chance, but it's the only hope we have left," Wyatt said.  
  
"Just slow down here," Jill said. "We can come up with a new plan."  
  
"Wyatt's right," Maggie said. "We've talked about this before. We always knew it would be our last chance."  
  
"Last being the operative word," Jill said. "We'll never get out of there alive."  
  
"Jill," Kevin said. "There's no other choice, and I don't want to give up now."  
  
"You're going along with this?" Jill asked.  
  
"Are you giving up?" Kevin asked.  
  
Jill was silent.  
  
"All right," Prue said. "Wyatt, you've been there before. What exactly are we up against?"  
  
"Aside from whatever demons might be guarding the place," Wyatt said. "There's a magical barrier over the building that only whitelighters, or half-whitelighters, can pass through. Anyone else trying to go through is killed instantly. Not even the angel of death can break the seal. It's impossible to teleport in or out, and no magic works once you're inside."  
  
"Luckily we just happen to have two half-whitelighters in the family," Paige said. "Now, how are we supposed to get to the temple in the first place?"  
  
"I think our best bet is to orb in as close as possible and make a run for it, using our powers to hold the demons off," Wyatt said. "You can go into the temple while I cover the others with my shield. Once you've got the urn, we'll orb out."  
  
Kevin smirked. "Not your must subtle plan ever."  
  
"I think we're way past the time for subtlety," Prue said.  
  
"Hey, I'm not complaining," Kevin said. "I say we go for it."  
  
"I'm with you," Paige said. "We have to do this."  
  
"This is all happening so fast," Phoebe said. "But I know it has to be done. I'm in."  
  
"I don't think we have a choice. We were meant to do this," Piper said.  
  
"What about you, Jill?" Prue asked. "We'll need you there, and not just for your power."  
  
"Yeah," Jill said, sounding defeated. "I'm in."  
  
Kevin looked at her with concern, but said nothing. The room was silent for a moment as everything began to fully sink in with those present.  
  
"We should do this as soon as possible," Wyatt said. "If demons destroyed the other covens, they may come after us next. We can't give them time to prepare."  
  
"We can probably go tomorrow," Prue said. "It's not like we have any pressing social engagements."  
  
"Tomorrow," Wyatt said. "Then it's settled, if that's all right with everyone."  
  
"Well," Prue said, after giving the others time to voice any opinions. "We should get some rest. We'll need it."  
  
The others assented, and everyone quietly went to find somewhere to sleep. Prue and Piper shared one of the beds, while Paige and Phoebe took another. Wyatt volunteered to sleep on the couch, and Kevin seemed happy with a sleeping bag on the floor, leaving the last bed for Jill and Maggie. It was an improvement compared to the sleeping arrangements at P3, but that was hardly noticed as each of them attempted to mentally prepare for the morning. Their only certainty was that each tick of the clock brought them closer to the moment on which the future of their entire world was balanced. 


	12. Angel Dark

Phoebe slipped quietly out of bed, careful not to wake Paige. It was just before six, and she knew that her sister would need as much sleep as she could get.  
  
The house seemed eerily quiet as Phoebe made her way down to the kitchen. Her sisters were almost always awake before she was, and the dark, silent house seemed almost unnatural to her now.  
  
When Phoebe reached the kitchen, she was glad to see that Jill was already there. She was sitting at the table, gazing out through one of the broken windows and having a cup of coffee.  
  
"Hi," Phoebe said.  
  
Jill looked over at her. "Morning."  
  
Phoebe poured a cup of coffee for herself and sat next to her.  
  
"So, this is it. The big day," Jill said.  
  
"Yeah," Phoebe said, sipping her coffee.  
  
"Did you sleep?" Jill asked.  
  
"Not much," Phoebe said. "Did you?"  
  
"A little," Jill said. "But my mind was racing all night."  
  
"Mine too," Phoebe said.  
  
"So, what do you think of Wyatt's plan?" Jill asked.  
  
"Well…" Phoebe hesitated.  
  
"It's just you and me now, Phoebe," Jill said. "Please, just be honest. I need to talk to someone."  
  
"It's dangerous," Phoebe said. "I don't know exactly how bad it is up there, but I know they'll have strong demons to protect the temple. Taking on one at a time was hard enough, and we won't even have a chance to use the Book of Shadows. The thing that scares me the most is that we're going in blind, and we really have no idea what to expect."  
  
"I know what you mean," Jill said. "I'm still not sure that we're doing the right thing."  
  
"But what else can we do?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I don't know…" Jill said, looking at the broken windows again. "Maybe we aren't meant to fix this. Maybe we're just supposed to protect as many innocents as we can down here."  
  
"Do you really believe that?" Phoebe asked softly.  
  
"It's what the whitelighters did," Jill said, looking back at Phoebe. "The other covens that tried to fight openly were wiped out. I don't think we should just let the same thing happen to us."  
  
"Whitelighters aren't supposed to fight. We are."  
  
"Phoebe," Jill said. "Everyone is so in love with this great plan to save the world, that they're not being realistic. There is no chance of getting through this alive, and if we try, we are not only throwing away our own lives, but the lives of all the innocents we might have saved."  
  
"And what about all the innocents we might save if this works?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"No one wants to save them more than I do, but there are times when you just can't save someone," Jill said. "Wyatt is a great guy, and one of the strongest witches I've ever met, but this plan is suicide."  
  
"You don't mean that," Phoebe said. "If you didn't believe in Wyatt, you wouldn't have stayed in his coven this long."  
  
"You don't know him the way I do," Jill said, and her gaze seemed to turn inward. "Wyatt's always had these huge plans, and when they work, it's incredible. But when they don't work it seems like the world comes crashing down around us. And this time, it actually will."  
  
"I wish I could change your mind," Phoebe said. "It'll be a lot harder without you."  
  
"I'll go," Jill said. "I've lost so much already. I don't want my brother to die without me. Beside, one witch working alone wouldn't live very long anyway."  
  
"I'm sorry you feel that way," Phoebe said.  
  
"Don't worry about it," Jill said. "I've accepted what's going to happen. And if by some miracle we do survive, I don't want to be sitting on the sidelines."  
  
"I'm—" Phoebe stopped as Prue entered the kitchen. "Hi Prue."  
  
"Hi." Prue smiled. "You're up early."  
  
"Well, you know, busy day and everything," Phoebe said.  
  
"I don't think I've ever seen you get up early by choice," Prue said.  
  
"Hey, there's a first time for everything," Phoebe said.  
  
"So what were you two talking about?" Prue asked.  
  
"Not much," Jill said. "Just… what we're planning to do today."  
  
"Oh," Prue said.  
  
"We're just feeling a little nervous about it, that's all," Phoebe said.  
  
"But we'll get over it," Jill said.  
  
"We're all worried," Prue said. "That's nothing to be ashamed of."  
  
"I know," Jill said. She quietly turned back to the window, and sipped her coffee.  
  
Slowly, the other witches came down to the kitchen one by one. Maggie was the next to wake up, followed by Wyatt. Piper, Kevin, and Paige came in after them.  
  
They shared coffee and a light breakfast. Conversation tended to veer away from what they intended to do later. Occasionally, someone would laugh about something, but levity didn't last long that day. They all had too much on their minds to let themselves relax.  
  
Before long, they had all finished, and they knew they couldn't wait any longer. Prue and Wyatt looked at each other, and they seemed to be communicating something silently.  
  
Wyatt stood up. "All right, it's time."  
  
Slowly, the others stood up and gathered around Paige.  
  
"Kevin," Jill said. "If you make it back, and I don't—"  
  
"You're coming back, Jill," Kevin said. "Understand?"  
  
"But if I don't," Jill said. "I left a letter for you. I wrote down some things I'd want to say to you, just in case."  
  
"Fine, but you won't need it," Kevin said. He paused. "I left one for you, too. Just in case."  
  
They smiled at each other, but there was sadness in their eyes.  
  
Wyatt took a deep breath. "Paige, take us up."  
  
Together, the witches orbed out. It took them only a moment to reach the former home of the whitelighters. White marble pillars and buildings rose out of the fog that surrounded them. Everything was silent and still.  
  
Wyatt glanced around, and almost immediately saw the temple only a short distance away. "Let's move."  
  
"Wait," Prue said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "This isn't right."  
  
"We can't wait," Wyatt said, pulling his shoulder away.  
  
"Hey! What are you doing here?"  
  
The witches all turned to see the source of the voice.  
  
"Chris!?" Phoebe said. "Where did you come from?"  
  
"They left me here to watch over things because I can hide better than the other whitelighters," Chris said quickly. "Now, what's going on?"  
  
"Better question: Where are all the demons that were supposed to be here?" Piper asked.  
  
"I don't know," Chris said. "They all disappeared just before you showed up. It's probably a trap, so you'd better hurry and do whatever you came here to do before they come back."  
  
"Something is definitely wrong with this picture," Prue insisted.  
  
"You're right, I don't like this," Chris said. "But why did you come here at all? Don't you know how dangerous this place is now?"   
  
"We're here for the power of the Greek gods," Wyatt said. "We want to use it against the Source."  
  
"What? But that power—" Chris shook his head. "Wyatt, that kind of power could corrupt you, or anyone else who tries to use it."  
  
"You'd rather spend the rest of eternity under the Source of All Evil?" Wyatt asked.  
  
Chris sighed. "All right, I'll help you. Wyatt, you head for the temple. I know where the rest of you can hide."  
  
"I don't know about this," Prue said. "I just can't stop thinking that we're walking right into whatever trap they've set up."  
  
"Relax," Chris said. He started to walk behind them, ushering them towards the temple. When they weren't looking, he put his hand behind his back. A puff of smoke appeared in his palm, and a dark crystal took shape from the smoke. "I have a plan." 


	13. Demon Bright

Chris led the witches to an open area not far from the temple. The circle of black crystals that had been laid on the ground was obscured by the fog, but Chris knew where it was.  
  
"Okay, we're here," Chris said. "Wyatt, you go in and get the powers, and I'll protect the rest of you out here."  
  
"All right." Wyatt nodded, and headed toward the temple.  
  
They watched as Wyatt moved quickly, trying to cover the distance in as little time as possible. Though none of the witches could see it, there was a glint in Chris' eyes.  
  
"Wyatt stop!" Prue yelled.  
  
Wyatt whirled around. "Prue, what is it?"  
  
"This is what the demons have been waiting for," Prue said. "They can't get inside the temple, so they're waiting for you to bring the god powers out for them."  
  
"Are you sure?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"It's the only thing that makes sense," Prue said. "They knew about our other plan. They must have known about this, too."  
  
"No, that's not possible," Chris said. "How could they know?"  
  
"I wonder," Prue said, glaring at Chris.  
  
"Wait, you don't think—" Chris said.  
  
"Maggie," Prue said. "Scan him."  
  
"Don't bother," Chris said. He dropped the crystal he had been holding. It completed the circuit with the ones that were already on the ground, and a barrier of energy surrounded the witches, trapping them inside. They immediately tried to use their powers to escape, but nothing seemed to affect the crystals or breach the walls of the trap. Even Prue's astral projections could not form outside the ethereal cage.  
  
"No!" Wyatt shouted. He ran toward the others, but Chris summoned demons to stop him. In seconds, the area was filled with servants of the Source. Almost immediately, Wyatt was trapped. Two incredibly strong demons held him, making sure that he couldn't move his arms. With his arms restrained, he couldn't activate his shield.  
  
The demons forced him to walk back to Chris and the trapped witches. As they went, they passed by demons, warlocks, vampires, wizards, harpies, dark priests, sorcerers, and darklighters. It seemed as though the entire underworld had been emptied for this moment.  
  
"Wyatt," Chris said. "You're going to go into that temple, and bring the god powers to me."  
  
"I'd rather die," Wyatt said.  
  
"I thought you'd say that," Chris said. He looked over his shoulder, and nodded. A demon approached the energy cage that held the witches. An energy ball formed in the demon's hand. Piper attempted to use her power to make the demon explode, but nothing happened.  
  
"Your powers can't pass through the barrier," Chris said. "But his can."  
  
The demon threw the energy ball. It struck Piper, causing her to crumple to the ground.  
  
"Piper!" Phoebe gasped. She knelt down and shook Piper, trying to wake her.  
  
Prue lashed out with her power, but the force of the attack only caused a small flicker in the energy barrier. She then dropped to her knees next to Piper, and called her name.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" Wyatt shouted, struggling against the demons that held him.   
  
"Don't worry, I wouldn't waste the powers of the Charmed Ones," Chris said. "That energy ball was only strong enough to knock her out. If you do what I tell you to, she'll be fine. If you don't, I have plenty of warlocks that would love to have her powers. So, do we have a deal?"  
  
"If I give you those powers, you'll kill us anyway." Wyatt shook his head. "I won't do it."  
  
"With the powers of a god, I won't have any reason to kill you," Chris said. "This is your only chance to survive."  
  
Before Wyatt could answer, a warlock blinked into the energy cage. It grabbed Piper, and blinked her out. The warlock placed her on the ground next to Chris, and held an athame over her heart. A demon stood nearby with an energy ball, ready to hit her again if she started to wake up.  
  
"Well?" Chris asked.  
  
Wyatt looked down at Piper. He could think of no way out. His legs felt weak, and it seemed that the demons restraining him were the only things keeping him from collapsing.  
  
Another demon shimmered in next to Wyatt. It was Cole.  
  
"Cole," Chris said. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I'm here for Phoebe," Cole said. "And the other witches."  
  
As he said this, the jackal demon appeared. "Cole, what are you doing?"  
  
"Stay out of this, Anubite," Cole said. "This is between me and the Source."  
  
"Remember who you're speaking to, Cole," The Anubite said.  
  
"You don't scare me," Cole said. "If avatars could harm each other, your faction would have been wiped out a long time ago, and you know it."  
  
"I'm the living embodiment of Anubis. I am judgment." The Anubite growled. "Don't cross me."  
  
"I'm doing you a favor," Cole said. "Don't you know why the Source needs all this power? He's manipulated everything for his personal gain, and when the time comes he'll betray you too."  
  
"Give me some credit," Chris said. "I know better than to piss off avatars, even with these powers. Anubite, do I look suicidal?"  
  
"Cole makes a good point, but I already know I can't trust you," The Anubite said. "For now, I think we have the same goals. That's good enough."  
  
"Have it your way. I don't really care," Cole said. He turned to look at the Source. "Now, the witches."  
  
"I can't let them go," Chris said. "I need Wyatt, and I need Piper to motivate him. But I'll make you a deal."  
  
"I'm listening," Cole said.  
  
"I'll keep Wyatt, Piper, and Paige. You can have the rest," Chris said.  
  
"Cole, don't," Phoebe said. "I won't leave my sisters, or my nephew."  
  
Cole looked at her, then back at Chris. "Deal."  
  
"Cole!" Phoebe shouted. He ignored her.  
  
"See, Anubite. Compromise is what got me where I am today," Chris said, putting an arm around the Anubite's shoulders. He extended his free hand to shake Cole's.  
  
As their hands made contact, Chris flamed out, taking Cole and the Anubite with him. They reappeared near the entrance of the temple. In a single, quick motion, Chris slammed both of the avatars into the doors of the temple. The magic shield held against them, and bolts of pure energy coursed through their bodies. The two of them were as close to invulnerable as any living beings, but the power of the temple won out. The avatars exploded, throwing Chris backwards.  
  
Chris flamed in mid air, and returned to where he had been standing a moment ago. "Avatars. Such a waste of power."  
  
"You killed them," Maggie said. She sounded dazed, and she couldn't take her eyes off the temple doors.  
  
"That's right, and I'm pretty sure they won't be coming back this time, either," Chris said. He looked back at Wyatt. Chris' eyes blackened, and flames leapt up inside them. "There's no one to save you anymore. Bring me the powers, or everyone in your coven dies."  
  
"It's you. You're the Source," Wyatt said. "How did you do it? The Grimoire was lost."  
  
"The titans found it," Chris said. "All I had to do was go back in time, and manipulate the Charmed Ones into destroying them. With the titans out of my way, ruling the underworld was easy."  
  
"But where did you get the powers of a whitelighter?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"I did something like this," Chris said. A darklighter arrow appeared from a puff of smoke in his hand, and he blinked in behind Paige. He stabbed her with the arrow, then blinked back out of the energy cage.  
  
"Paige!" Wyatt shouted, and renewed his struggle against the demonic guards holding him.  
  
Prue slammed her fists against the energy barrier. "Chris, you bastard! If you let her die, I will not rest until you're vanquished. I'll chase you into the next life if I have to."  
  
"Blame Wyatt. I wouldn't have had to kill her if he didn't try to stall me," Chris said. He turned to Wyatt. "How many more witches have to die before you give me what I want? And don't be in too much of a hurry to martyr your coven, because you're the last witches left anywhere. If you die, there really won't be any hope left for all the innocents down there."  
  
Wyatt could barely see through the tears that were forming in his eyes. "What's the point? You won't let us go."  
  
"You're right, I won't," Chris said. He looked back at the witches, and made a motion with his hand, and flames engulfed Prue.  
  
Prue screamed in pain as the blaze seared her flesh.  
  
"Stop it!" Wyatt shouted. It all seemed so senseless, even in the face of the cold logic of everything Chris had done.  
  
Chris made another hand motion, and the flames died down, leaving Prue uninjured. "I promise to make it quick if you give in. If you don't, I can keep this up for a very long time. I'll give you to the count of three, and then it's Jill's turn."  
  
Chris held out his hand, preparing to create more flames.  
  
"One…" 


	14. Atlas Shrugged

"Wyatt!" Maggie shouted. "Your powers comes from your emotions! Use them!"  
  
"Two…" Chris said.  
  
Wyatt looked at Piper and Paige lying on the ground, and at his coven. As he saw the horror of what was happening around him he realized that their only chance was to fight. He knew he had to protect those he cared about, and he felt the power of his heritage rising within him.  
  
"Three," Chris said.  
  
Wyatt orbed, escaping the grip of the two demons. The Source's hand dropped, extinguishing the flames that had appeared around Jill. Wyatt reappeared next to the energy cage. Though the crystals were still covered in fog, the convergence of the energy beams showed him where one of them had to be. He raised his shield, and prepared to kick the crystal out of formation.  
  
Warlocks blinked in around Wyatt. He made a dismissive motion with his hand, and his shield expanded quickly, throwing the warlocks back. The shield returned to the previous size, and Wyatt knocked the crystal away. The energy cage vanished.  
  
"Kill her!" Chris ordered as he prepared a fireball. The warlock raised his knife over Piper's chest, but Prue threw him back before he could strike, while Kevin used his power to conceal Piper.  
  
Chris threw the fireball he was holding, aiming directly at Prue. She had barely enough time to deflect the blast, and it nearly struck Maggie after the telekinetic push had thrown it off course.  
  
The demonic horde seemed stunned by what was happening. It had been nearly fifteen years since they had faced serious resistance. Destroying covens of terrified and helpless witches hadn't prepared them for the power of a Halliwell enraged.  
  
But the Source wasn't so easily intimidated, and another flame was already forming in Chris' hand. This time Jill was prepared. She threw her dagger, striking the fireball. The two weapons annihilated each other, releasing a wave of energy and knocking Chris off his feet.  
  
As he fell, the witches heard Maggie's voice shouting in their minds: Run!  
  
Jill bent down, and picked up Paige. She moved quickly, but carefully avoided touching the tip of the darklighter arrow that was still protruding from Paige's chest.  
  
Wyatt orbed again. He moved like a hurricane of light as he gathered the other witches. The Source threw a fireball at them uselessly as their orbs escaped back to Earth.  
  
  
  
They managed to reach the manor, though the landing wasn't been perfect. Piper and Paige were on the floor, unconscious. Phoebe sat on the couch and rested her head in her hands, and Maggie sat next to her. Prue was standing next to the couch, while Kevin stood a few feet away, seemingly unsure of what to say or do.  
  
Wyatt put his hand over Piper's forehead, waking her, while Jill carefully pulled the arrow out of Paige. Once Piper was sitting up, Wyatt moved to heal Paige.  
  
"I can't believe that Chris was the Source," Phoebe said. "He was our whitelighter for years, and he was lying to us the whole time. What about all those times he healed us? All the times he saved our lives?"  
  
"He must have been planning this from the start," Prue said. "He knew killing you wouldn't have helped him become a god. He needed a real whitelighter on his side."  
  
Wyatt moved his hand away from Paige, and helped her to her feet.  
  
"But how could he know we would do this?" Kevin asked.  
  
"He didn't give us a choice," Prue said. "And he knew we'd risk anything to stop him."  
  
"Wait," Piper said, sitting next to Phoebe. "Chris was the Source? I thought he was a warlock. How else would he get whitelighter powers?"  
  
"He probably was a warlock, once," Jill said.  
  
"He must have forced the leaders in the underworld to make him the Source." Prue said. "With the Charmed Ones and the Grimoire on his side, they couldn't have stopped him."  
  
"Not to mention everything he learned from the future," Phoebe said.  
  
"The Source came from the future?" Jill asked.  
  
"Yeah, but not this future. He was from a couple of years ago, I think. Except that future didn't actually happen because we beat the titans, so we're in this future now. I mean, the present that we're in, which wasn't the one he came from. Which would've been the past—" Phoebe shook her head. "I really, really hate time travel."  
  
"Thanks for explaining that, Phoebe. Clear as crystal," Kevin said.  
  
"Ugh, don't mention crystals," Prue said.  
  
"We should check the Book of Shadows for ways to get out of those crystal energy traps," Paige said. "All the times I used those things and I never once thought about escaping one."  
  
"Good idea," Wyatt said. "We might need it when we go back."  
  
"Go back?" Kevin said. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"We have to go back," Wyatt said. "Everything is there. Those powers are still the only chance we have."  
  
"Wyatt, we lost," Kevin said. "What makes you think it would be any different the next time?"  
  
"We didn't know what to expect. We only lost because we trusted Chris," Wyatt said. "He won't be able to do it again."  
  
"Wyatt…" Maggie began. He looked at her, but she only lowered her head, knowing there was nothing she could say.  
  
"If you don't want to go, that's all right. We still have the Charmed Ones." Wyatt turned to face Prue. "What do you think, Prue? We're the Halliwells. We can't let a demon beat us."  
  
Prue looked at the others for a moment before she answered. "I think we should look for another way."  
  
"We've talked about this," Wyatt said. "There isn't any other way."  
  
"Then we'll have to save the innocent from down here, just like we always have," Prue said.  
  
"You've never given up before. I can't believe you're saying this now," Wyatt said.  
  
"I once fought death itself to save an innocent. Even though I knew I couldn't win, I almost died because I thought I had no choice. But it taught me that some things can't be changed, that sometimes the only way to win is to stop fighting," Prue said. "I don't think we were meant to change this."  
  
"Paige, what about you?" Wyatt asked. "You didn't let me give up before, and I know you won't now."  
  
"We'll find a way, but this isn't it," Paige said.  
  
"This is what you all think?" Wyatt paused. "All right, I'll go myself. My force field should hold out long enough."  
  
"Please, don't go," Piper said. "They'll kill you."  
  
"I have to go," Wyatt said.   
  
Wyatt's body tensed, and his eyes closed. The blue glow enveloped him an instant before his body dissolved into orbs. His orbs quickly rose toward the ceiling.  
  
Piper made a quick hand motion, and Wyatt's orbs exploded. They scattered across the room, then reformed a short distance from where he had been standing a moment ago.  
  
Wyatt shouted in pain as his body became solid again, now lying on the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry. I couldn't let you do this," Piper said, her voice trembling. "Please."  
  
"Wyatt, I know things look bad." Jill reached out to Wyatt, and helped him back to his feet. "But you don't have to die."  
  
"What?" Wyatt asked.  
  
"That's what you're doing, isn't it?" Jill asked. "You'd rather die in a blaze of glory than face what's out there."  
  
"That's ridiculous," Wyatt said.  
  
"Is it?" Maggie asked.  
  
Wyatt looked at her, and hesitated before he answered. "I don't have a death wish."  
  
"Are you sure?" Jill asked, but Wyatt didn't answer. "Look, the world is counting on us to fight the good fight. You have to have the courage to live, or a lot of innocent people are going to get hurt."  
  
"And what about Piper, and the rest of us?" Prue asked. "We don't want to lose you."  
  
"I'm sorry." Wyatt averted his eyes from them. "I wasn't trying to hurt any of you."  
  
"Then stay here," Jill said. "We still need your help."  
  
Wyatt sighed. "But what can we do now?"  
  
"Wyatt, you know what we have to do," Jill said. "It's time for the whitelighters to come back." 


	15. Revelations

Wyatt looked at his ring. The large pearl and its ornate setting were beautiful, but they had always seemed strange to him. The ring itself felt strange on his finger. He hated it for what it represented, but it was his most valued possession.  
  
While the other witches watched, Jill took off the ring she was wearing, and Wyatt did the same. They placed the rings on the coffee table.  
  
"Are you ready for this?" Jill asked.  
  
"I think so," Wyatt said.  
  
"You know the words," Jill said. He nodded, and they began to chant the spell that they had been given.  
  
"Ancient powers hear our cry,  
  
We call the Elders to our side.  
  
A message now we seek to send,  
  
To ask for healing at life's end.  
  
Accept these rings as our sign  
  
Of the lost and broken times."  
  
The rings briefly glowed white, and vanished.  
  
"Do you think it worked?" Jill asked.  
  
"I hope so," Wyatt said. "We only get one chance."  
  
The witches held their breath as they waited for a response from the Elders. Then, a bright light filled the air, erasing shadows from the room. A figure in golden robes orbed into their midst.  
  
The light faded, and the Elder lowered his hood.  
  
"Wyatt," Leo smiled. He put his arms around Wyatt as tears began to blur his vision. "My son."  
  
"Leo, you made it," Wyatt said.  
  
Leo took a step back and looked at Wyatt. "I thought about you every day that I couldn't be with you. I wish I could've taken you with me. But I'm glad you were able to do so much here on your own. I'm proud of you."  
  
"Hey Leo, over here," Prue said.  
  
Leo looked at her. "Prue, you're alive?"  
  
"I heard about the promotion," Prue said, smiling. "Elder robes look good on you."  
  
"But how?" Leo began to look at the faces of the others that were gathered around him, and he felt his heart jump as he saw the one he had memorized so many years ago. "Piper."  
  
"You are alive," Piper said. "I was so worried about you. Nobody could tell me if you escaped or not."  
  
"I... I thought you were dead," Leo said. He glanced at her sisters, but his gaze returned to Piper. "You're all alive. What—"  
  
Piper threw her arm around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. "Don't ever leave like that again."  
  
"I won't," Leo said, and he kissed her again.  
  
Paige waited for the two of them to release from the kiss before she spoke. "Leo, remember us?"  
  
"Paige, Phoebe," Leo said. "Hi. Sorry, I guess I was a little distracted."  
  
"Don't worry about it," Paige said. "She is your wife."  
  
"Yeah, we totally understand," Phoebe grinned.  
  
"Yes, Piper is my wife, and I love her more than anything in the world," Leo said. "But you're also my sisters now, and I care about you too."  
  
"Aww, Leo," Phoebe said.  
  
Kevin looked around. "Um, I don't want to interrupt, but where's our whitelighter? Why isn't Angie here?"  
  
Leo looked at Kevin and Jill. "I'm sorry, but Angela didn't make it. She tried to stall the demonic attack, to give us time to escape."  
  
Jill edged closer to Kevin, and he put his hand on her shoulder.  
  
Jill shook her head. "I don't know what to say."  
  
"She's gone," Kevin said. "Why? So some demon could impress his friends? What kind of trade is that?"  
  
"She was a hero," Leo said. "She did what heroes do. Without her, a lot more of us would have died."  
  
"Leo," Wyatt said. "How many survived?"  
  
"About thirty whitelighters are left, but only five of the Elders made it, counting me," Leo said. "They've already started doing what they can to comfort and protect innocents that were caught in the crossfire, but there aren't enough of us to heal everyone that needs it."  
  
Leo turned quickly to look at Maggie. They gazed intently at each other for a few moments, then Maggie broke eye contact. Leo nodded.  
  
"This is worse than I thought," Leo said. "We must not have much time."  
  
"Wait, what did she tell you?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"She just helped me catch up on everything that happened while I was gone," Leo said. "Even if you could have stopped the Source, I'm not sure it would have changed anything. There's a war coming, and I don't mean a war between good and evil. Plagues and famines are causing so much death already. A war now could be the biggest disaster in human history."  
  
"Leo, what are you saying?" Prue asked.  
  
"I'm saying the future is still uncertain," Leo said. "But right now, all I can see is pain, even if the Source doesn't attack directly."  
  
"Did Maggie tell you who the Source is?" Piper asked.  
  
"Yes," Leo said. "I don't know how we could have missed it. If he hadn't waited so long to reveal himself, I might have foreseen it before it was too late. But there's nothing we can do about it now."  
  
"Leo, what do you know about avatars?" Prue asked.  
  
"Avatars?" Leo said. "Why?"  
  
"I think Cole is one," Prue said. "Or he was."   
  
"You saw Cole?"   
  
"He was working for the Source," Phoebe said.  
  
"Avatars are extremely powerful beings that try to mold the universe," Leo said. "They think they're beyond good and evil. If Cole was working with the Source, he must have had a reason."   
  
"Maybe he does think he's beyond good and evil, but he definitely seemed evil enough to me," Paige said.  
  
Leo looked at Paige. "Did he kill anyone?"  
  
"He was willing to leave Paige, Wyatt, and Piper with the Source so he could have me," Phoebe said.   
  
Leo's jaw tightened, but he didn't answer.  
  
"What are we supposed to do now?" Piper asked, looking at Leo.  
  
"I don't know," Leo said.  
  
"All that time, all those spells..." Wyatt shook his head and looked at Prue. "It was all for nothing. We couldn't change a thing."  
  
"Magic happens for a reason," Leo said. "And that means that everyone here was meant to be here."  
  
Maggie reached over to Phoebe and put her hand on Phoebe's shoulder. Phoebe immediately felt a vision taking over her senses.  
  
Phoebe felt as though she was standing alone in the darkness. The space around her was so empty and formless that she wasn't able to tell if her eyes were open or closed, except for the fact that she couldn't shut out a premonition.  
  
Then she saw a snake. Its golden body was coiled back onto itself as though preparing to strike, but its red eyes seemed almost compassionate as it looked at her. As she watched it, the snake began to slowly eat its own tail. A moment later, the snake shattered like a glass sculpture, ending the premonition.  
  
"Phoebe?" Piper said. "Did you have another premonition?"   
  
"Yeah," Phoebe said. "But it was strange. I'm not sure what it meant."  
  
Phoebe heard Maggie's voice in her mind. "Phoebe, you've seen everything that you needed to see."   
  
Phoebe looked at her, but Maggie was silent. 


	16. Like Tears in Rain

"What did you see?" Jill asked.

"A snake.  It was eating its own tail," Phoebe said.  "And it exploded."

"It sounds like an Ouroboros," Prue said.

"A what?"  Paige asked.

"Ouroboros," Prue repeated.  "It's an ancient symbol, and it usually represents cycles, or infinity."

"What are we supposed to do with that?"  Wyatt asked.

"Maybe it's a suicidal snake that we're supposed to protect," Kevin said.

"Right..." Prue said.  "Any other ideas?"

"What do you usually do when you get a premonition like this?" Jill asked.

"Usually my premonitions are about people getting attacked by demons," Phoebe said.  "Exploding snakes aren't really my specialty."

"Leo, do you know anything about this Ouro-whatever?"  Paige asked.

"I'm not sure what it means," Leo said.  "I can ask the other Elders, but I doubt they'll be able to tell us anything.  That premonition was meant for you, not us."

"You're leaving already?"  Prue asked.

"No, I'll just jingle them," Leo said.  He then lowered his head and began to speak silently to the other surviving Elders.

"That must come in handy," Prue said, watching him.

"Sure, as long as you don't mind never seeing the person you're talking to," Piper said.

Leo then raised his head.

"Anything?" Wyatt asked.

"No, nothing," Leo said.

"Too bad, we could have really used some help this time," Phoebe said.  "It seems like none of my premonitions have made any sense since I got here."

"Could the premonitions be connected somehow?"  Piper asked.

"Maybe," Phoebe said.  "But I'm not sure how."

"What premonitions have you had?"  Kevin asked.

"Well, the first one was about the Anubite," Phoebe said.  "I saw Piper closing its page in the Book of Shadows.  And I saw Cole here, trying to talk us out of casting a spell."

"You had a prem about Cole?"  Paige said.  "That guy just doesn't know when to give up."

"What kind of spell was it?"  Piper asked.

"That's what worries me," Phoebe said.  "We were trying to resurrect Prue."

Wyatt looked at Prue with concern.  "She's still technically undead.  Maybe you thought bringing her completely back to life would bring her memories back."

"Maybe," Prue said.  She seemed to be deep in thought.

"And then there was the Ouroboros," Phoebe said.  "I don't get it."

"The never ending cycle..." Prue said.

"What?"  Phoebe said.

"Time travel," Prue said.  "Everything started going wrong when the three of you disappeared.  We always thought you were killed by the shadow demon, but if all this happened because we called you out of the past?  What if we created this future?"

"Am I the only one who has no idea what she's talking about?"  Paige asked.

"I've got no clue," Piper said.

"I think I understand," Leo said.  "It's a paradox.  They called you to change what went wrong, but the only reason any of it happened was because you weren't around in the past to prevent it."

"Look at Phoebe's premonitions," Prue said.  "She saw Piper in the past with Wyatt while he was growing up, and she saw herself casting a spell to bring me back from the dead.  That had to be an alternate reality."

"What are you suggesting?"  Wyatt asked.

"Maybe we should reverse the spell that brought them here?"  Prue said.  "We might be able to change history after all."

"But what if it doesn't work?"  Wyatt asked.  "We could be sending them to die."

"We take the same risk every time we fight a demon," Phoebe said.  "If there is a chance to make things right, we have to try it."

"I'm worried."  Wyatt paused.  "We have no idea what kind of future we'll create if we try to change history.  The smart thing to do would be to stay here and find a way to keep fighting."

"Wyatt, you've been fighting all your life, and look at what's happened," Leo said.  "It's time for you to trust something other than power."

"What is there to trust?"  Wyatt asked.  "We can't be sure that reversing the spell will change anything."

"We have to have faith:  Faith that the universe was meant to turn out better than this."  Leo put his arm around Piper.  "I don't know what the world will be like after we change history, but I do know that we'll be there together, the way we were meant to be.  That's all I need to know."

"What difference does that make?  This is bigger than any of us," Wyatt said.

"You'd be surprised," Piper said.  She looked at Leo, then at Wyatt.  "It's our bond as a family that makes us strong."

"All right," Wyatt said.  He looked at Prue.  "You were willing to take a chance following me, and I'm willing to follow you now."

"Don't worry," Prue said.  "They'll be fine.  They've handled plenty of things that were a lot worse than the shadow demon."

Phoebe walked over to Prue.  "Prue..."

"I wish you didn't have to go," Prue said.  "But this wasn't meant to be."

"How can I go back?"  Phoebe asked.  "I don't want to lose you again."

"You'll cope.  You always have," Prue said.  "Once the spell is reversed, you'll forget about this future, and everything that happened here."

"I don't want to forget!"  Phoebe said.

"I don't want to forget either," Piper said.  "When you died, I died with you.  But I feel whole again when I'm here."

"This isn't goodbye," Prue said.  "The Anubite is still going to be around after you go back, and he'll resurrect me again."

"You can't be sure," Phoebe said.  "What if he doesn't?"

"Then we'll still see each other again, someday" Prue said.  "Nothing can change that."

Piper let go of Leo to embrace Prue, and Phoebe joined them.  Paige hesitated, then she put her arms around them.  The four sisters held each other and wept, knowing that they would be parting again all too soon.  Eventually, they released each other, and the three younger sisters stepped back.

"Prue," Paige said.  "I'm glad I got to see you.  I just wish we could've hung out some more while I was here."

"Yeah," Prue smiled.  "I can't wait to meet you again.  We'll hang out some time, I promise."

Wyatt moved to stand next to Prue.  "I guess this is it.  Everyone, good luck in the new timeline."

"Hey, it's gotta be better than this," Kevin said.  "But I'll still miss all of you."

"No, you won't," Jill said.  "But maybe we'll see each other again.  I definitely couldn't have asked for a better coven."

"Neither could I," Wyatt said.  He smiled warmly, and for a moment, they all caught a glimpse of the man that Wyatt might have been; the man he might still become.

"Don't worry about us," Maggie said.  "I know we'll be just fine."

Leo and Maggie glanced at each other, and a silent communication seemed to pass between them, but they didn't say anything to the others.

Then, Wyatt took Prue's hand, and Prue wiped attempted to wipe the wetness from her eyes.  Together, they began to chant a spell.

"A time for everything, and everything in its place.

Return what has been moved, through time and space."

But the future refused to change.

"What happened?"  Wyatt asked.

"Nothing," Prue said.  "Why didn't it work?"

"I think I know why," Phoebe said.  She swallowed, struggling to get the words out.

"What?" Prue asked.

"The premonition I had about Cole and the spell to bring you back.  This is what it was warning us about," Phoebe said.

"I don't understand," Prue said.

"In that other future, we cast a spell to bring you back, and now here you are," Phoebe said.  "The ultimate personal gain... and this was the consequence."

"Then what do we do?"  Paige asked.

"We," Phoebe shut her eyes for a moment, and tears began to slide down her cheeks.  "We have to reverse the resurrection spell."

"But... doesn't that mean...?" Piper began.

"It must mean that Prue was never brought back to life in the other timeline," Leo said.  "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" Piper looked at him.  She was vehement.  "Is that all you can say?" 

"What can I say?" Leo asked.  "This is the way it has to be.  You know that."

Phoebe broke down, and she began to cry.  Piper's anger evaporated as she put her arms around her sister, and Phoebe cried on her shoulder.

"I know," Piper said.  "But it just isn't fair.  Why does it have to be Prue?"

"Everyone wishes that they could bring back a lost loved one," Leo said gently.  "But that isn't our decision to make.  You have to trust that there was a reason for this."

"If they can go back and change the present, why can't they go back further?"  Wyatt asked.  "What if they can stop Prue from being killed in the first place?"

"That's probably how it started, with someone asking 'Why not'." Leo said.  "And look at what happened.  We all wish she hadn't died, but she did, and we have to accept it."

"You can't fight death," Prue said.  "We've all tried, but that isn't how things work."

"I can't... I can't," Phoebe said.

Prue put her arms around Phoebe.  "You have to undo the spell."

"You're asking me to kill you," Phoebe said.  "I can't do that."

"But I already died," Prue said.  "This was only a dream, and now you have to go back.  You can't dream forever."

Phoebe fought to hold back her tears.  "I know, but I can't do it."

"I'll be right here beside you, and I always will be," Prue said.  "What's the spell to undo the resurrection spell?"

"I don't know," Phoebe said, shaking her head.

"There's a muse here," Leo said.  "Let your instincts guide you."

Slowly, reluctantly, the four Charmed Ones began to cast the spell as it came to them.

"Blood for blood and life for life.

We defied the grave, and paid the price.

For our love we called the dead,

But in her place, still more blood was shed.

To protect their lives, we now revoke,

The selfish words that once we spoke."

Wyatt averted his eyes as the spell finished.  Jill and Kevin clung to each other, unsure of what fate had in store for them.  Maggie and Leo watched silently, unmoving.

Then, it was gone.

  


**Halliwell Manor.  ****January 4, 2006****.  ****9:03 PM****.**

  


"Keep going!" Paige shouted, pointing at the demon.  It was back on its feet, and preparing to attack.

Again, the three witches read the spell.  "Your shadows fall, and hear no call.  You lived by night, but die in light." 

There was another bright flash of light, and the demon fell again.

The shadow grew, and began to fill the room.  The demon growled.  "I won't be defeated."

"Oh yeah?"  Paige said.  "Third time's the charm."

"Your shadows fall, and hear no call.  You lived by night, but die in light."

There was another flash as the shadow rose up around them.  Then, the shadow melted away like a curl of smoke in the wind.  Without protection from the light, the demon screamed in agony, and exploded.

"Now that was a well deserved vanquish," Paige said.

"I'll say," Phoebe said.  "I bet the next demon is going to think twice before messing with my nephew."

"Speaking of Wyatt," Piper said.  "Paige, where is my son?"

"I don't know," Paige said.

"What?"  Piper said, glaring.

"Relax, I left him with Leo," Paige said.

"Oh," Piper said.  "Leo!"

Leo orbed in immediately, holding Wyatt in his arms.  He had been expecting her call.

"I saw the vanquish," Leo said.  "Well done."

"Yeah yeah yeah," Piper said.  "Gimme."

Leo gave Wyatt a kiss on the cheek, then handed him over.  Wyatt was getting heavy now, but Piper was glad to hold him after the ordeal.

"Where was he?"  Paige asked.

"He was in the one place evil could never reach him," Leo said.

At that moment, Chris orbed into the room.

"So that's where you were hiding him," Chris said, smiling at Wyatt.  "Lucky kid.  I never had a chance to go in there."

Phoebe looked at Chris and gasped.  She stepped back, as though she had seen a snake.

"Phoebe, what's wrong?"  Chris asked.

"Did you have a premonition?"  Piper asked.

"No," Phoebe said.  "More like... a memory."


	17. Mistakes to Right

"Phoebe, why are you looking at me like that?" Chris asked.  
  
"Paige, Piper, I want you to do exactly what I do," Phoebe said.  
  
"Do what? What's going on?" Piper asked.  
  
"I can't tell you," Phoebe said. "You have to trust me."  
  
"Don't you think this is a little weird?" Paige asked.  
  
"You trust her, don't you?" Leo asked.  
  
"Please," Phoebe said.  
  
"Fine," Piper said. "Whatever this is, we'll follow your lead."  
  
Phoebe nodded, and began to chant. "Prudence, Penelope, Patricia."  
  
"Phoebe, stop," Chris said.  
  
Piper nearly faltered in her surprise, but she managed to continue the spell. "Astrid, Melinda, Helena, Alora, and Grace."  
  
"Stop!" Chris shouted. A fireball formed in his hand, and he hurled it at them. An instant before it struck, Wyatt's shield appeared, blocking the attack.  
  
Paige took up the chant. "Halliwell witches stand strong beside us."  
  
Chris roared with feral rage, and began to pound the shield with fireballs.  
  
But the witches stood firm. Together, the spoke the last words that the Source would ever hear. "Vanquish this evil from time and space."  
  
Fire rose from the ground, consuming the Source as he shouted in pain. It seemed to pull him back towards the underworld, and then the flames exploded, sending a shockwave through the room.  
  
Wyatt's shield dropped as the wave of energy passed. Paige and Piper stood in shock, and Phoebe was shaking. Wyatt clung tightly to his mother's shirt. Leo merely stood nearby, looking concerned.  
  
"Wh... how..." Paige stammered. "Chris?"  
  
"Phoebe," Piper said, still staring at the charred spot that the Source's destruction had created. "How did you know?"  
  
Phoebe collapsed onto the couch. "I don't know how. It's like something I saw in a dream."  
  
"Was it a premonition?" Paige asked.  
  
"No, it was real, I think." Phoebe looked at Piper. "Piper, do you remember when we fought Tempus? I was the only one who knew what was happening when he reset time."  
  
Piper put Wyatt down, and told him to go play. He didn't want to let go at first, but Leo and Piper reassured him that he was safe, and that the adults just needed some time talk about what happened. Reluctantly, Wyatt went up to his room.  
  
"Do you think Tempus is back somehow?" Piper asked once she was sure her son was out of earshot.  
  
"I don't know," Phoebe said.  
  
"Who's Tempus?" Paige asked.  
  
"A demon that could reset time," Piper said. "If we don't stop him, he'll keep resetting time until we're all dead."  
  
"Don't worry," Leo said. "Tempus didn't have anything to do with this."  
  
"Leo, what do you know?" Piper asked.  
  
"The three of you just came back from an alternate future," Leo said. "In that future, the Source won, but you were sent back to stop him."  
  
"Then shouldn't I remember a little more clearly?" Phoebe asked,  
  
"I don't think you were meant to remember anything. You should've been able to beat the Source without having this as an advantage," Leo said. "I'll have to talk to the other Elders about this. I'll be back as soon as I can."  
  
"Can't you just jingle them?" Piper asked.  
  
"Not this time," Leo said. He looked at each of them, then orbed away.  
  
"There's something else," Phoebe said. "I saw Prue."  
  
"What?" Paige asked.  
  
"What do you mean you saw Prue?" Piper asked.  
  
"She was there, in the future," Phoebe said. "She was alive."  
  
"How is that possible?" Piper said quietly.  
  
"I'm not sure. It's all so hazy," Phoebe said.  
  
"Maybe this means we can talk to Prue now," Piper said. "We should try having a séance."  
  
Piper turned to go to the attic, but she didn't get far.  
  
"Wait," Paige said. "If Chris was the Source, doesn't that mean they've got the Grimoire back?"  
  
Phoebe looked up at her. "You're right. They must have found it somehow."  
  
"Then we have to get it back. If we don't, they'll just make a new Source," Paige said.  
  
"How can we stop them?" Piper asked. "We have no idea where the Grimoire is now."  
  
"I know someone who can find it," Phoebe said. "Cole."  
  
"Phoebe," Piper said. "Cole is dead."  
  
"Yeah, not to mention evil," Paige said.  
  
"He's alive," Phoebe said. "And I don't want to ask him for help, but he's the only chance we have now."  
  
"If he is alive, we should leave him alone," Paige said. "You finally got him out of your life. Do you want to give him a reason to come back?"  
  
"No, I don't," Phoebe said. "But if it's the only way to get to the Grimoire, then I'll have to take that chance."  
  
"She's right," Piper said. "We have to get the Grimoire, no matter what. Phoebe, if you think Cole's alive, you should try to talk to him."  
  
"All right," Paige said. "I guess we have to."  
  
**********  
  
Phoebe appeared on a rocky plateau in the heart of the wasteland. She saw Cole sitting on a large rock not far from her. He was looking at the desolate ground, and didn't move.  
  
"Cole."  
  
"Phoebe?" he turned to look at her. He seemed euphoric. But his face quickly fell, and he turned away. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"We need your help," Phoebe said. "Demons have the Grimoire, and we have to get it b ack before they name a new Source."  
  
"After everything that's happened, what makes you think I'd want to help you?" Cole asked.  
  
"You're the only one who can do this."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Don't you care at all anymore? What about all the people who could be hurt?" Phoebe asked.  
  
Cole shook his head. "People get hurt all the time, Source or no Source."  
  
"So you're just going to sit here and wallow in self pity while innocent people die? What happened to you, Cole?"  
  
"What happened to me? What didn't happen to me," Cole stood up. "I was possessed by the Source, and it forced me to do whatever it wanted. Then you destroyed the Source, but you still wouldn't accept me. And then, I risked everything to be with you, so you killed me. I still care about you, Phoebe, but I'm not letting you heart me again."  
  
"I know you care about me. I think I'm all you ever did care about,' Phoebe said. "That's why I can never trust you again."  
  
"What? Are you saying I love you too much? That's insane."  
  
"No, I'm saying that if you want to be good, you'll have to care about something other than me," Phoebe said. "Loving one person just isn't enough."  
  
Cole looked off into the lifeless plains and dust clouds in the distance. "As a demon, I was always told that love doesn't really conquer all, but I didn't really believe that until now. Love was the most powerful thing I ever felt and I thought that nothing could break it. But every time I tried to make it work between us, I failed."  
  
"It wasn't meant to be," Phoebe said. "But that doesn't mean you have to give up on everything else."  
  
"I don't want to be evil, Phoebe," Cole said. "But I don't know how to be good without you."  
  
"If you want to be good, you'll have to learn," Phoebe said. "Because we can never be together."  
  
"I've accepted that." Cole looked at her. "Fine, I'll get the Grimoire. If I'm gonna try to be good, I'll have to start somewhere."  
  
"Thank you, Cole," Phoebe said. "Even though we aren't in a relationship anymore, this does mean something to me."  
  
"Let's go," Cole said.  
  
He extended his hand to Phoebe, and she took it. His grip was gentle, but impossibly strong. His hand felt almost the way she remembered it, but she could tell that the power behind it was much greater. His grip felt comforting, and Phoebe couldn't help remembering all the reasons that she fell in love with him. A part of her wanted to simply forget everything that happened and take him back, and that disturbed her.  
  
She had expected to feel something when they teleported. She wasn't sure if it would be the thrilling, dizzying sensation of shimmering, or the heat and raw hatred of flaming, or something else entirely, but she did expect to feel something. But this time, there was nothing. Her vision simply blurred for a moment, and they were standing in the manor.  
  
"What was that?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"You mean how we got here?" Cole asked. "Blurring. It's how avatars usually get around. If it bothers you, I could shimmer instead. Hell, I'm an avatar now. I could orb if it would make you feel better."  
  
"It doesn't matter," Phoebe said, sounding subdued. "Let's just get this over with."  
  
"All right," Cole said. "I'll be right back."  
  
Cole blurred out, and instantly found himself in a massive cave in the underworld. Giant, wrought-iron racks filled the cavern. Arcane symbols were inscribed on the edges of each of these racks, and the shelves were filled with books. The books described pieces of history, spells, tactics, and almost anything else that demons might find useful. There were only two entrances to the room, and each was guarded by a pair of high level demons. Teleportation into the infernal library was normally impossible, but there was very little magic in the universe capable of impeding an avatar.  
  
Cole looked to his left, and saw a section of raised ground along one wall. A wave of Cole's hand dismissed the illusion, and the Grimoire with its ornate stand became visible on the platform. Two gold braziers full of red fire stood on either side of the book. A figure in a dark suit stood on the edge of the platform, as though he had been waiting for this moment.  
  
The Anubite grinned, bearing the sharp teeth that lined its jaws. "Planning to do some light reading, Cole?" 


	18. Deserts of the Heart

"Hello Anubite," Cole said. "I wasn't expecting you here."  
  
"I was expecting you," The Anubite said. "I was watching when you left the wasteland with that witch."  
  
"I assume you know what happened to the Source," Cole said.  
  
"The Source was nothing. Power was all he ever thought about. His destruction might even be good for us."  
  
"I'm not on your side, and I never will be," Cole said. "Now, I'm going to take the Grimoire to make sure they can't make a new Source."  
  
"Go ahead. I won't try to stop you."  
  
"What are you up to?"  
  
"Nothing," The Anubite said. "I just know you, Cole. You'll change your mind eventually. It's in your nature."  
  
"You're wrong," Cole said.  
  
"This is all because of that witch. Did you forget what she did to you?" The Anubite asked. "She killed you. Getting involved with her again will only bring you more pain."  
  
"You don't know that," Cole said.  
  
"I do know," The Anubite said. "I was a demon too, once. I understand you better than any of the other avatars, and I know the pain that we must go through. It's our destiny. But I can end your pain. It's the only way we can ever be free."  
  
"What about all the innocents that your plan will hurt?"  
  
"There's no such thing as an innocent," The Anubite said. Cole's vision blurred for an instant, and the two of them were standing on top of a building in San Francisco.  
  
"Why did you bring me here?" Cole asked.  
  
"Look at them." The Anubite took Cole to the edge of the roof, and they looked down at busy streets below. "They walk around like ants, wasting their lives on work. They don't care about each other, except for those few friends and family that happen to cross their lives. And when they do care, it doesn't even matter. It only leads to death and broken hearts. Why would anyone want to save them?"  
  
"It isn't like that. There's love in the world, and joy." Cole's expression seemed distant as he was overwhelmed with memories. "I felt it, once."  
  
"And how do you feel now? How does it feel to lose the one person you cared about?" The Anubite straightened, and looked at Cole. "It's just more pain, the perfect end for a life filled with destruction and evil."  
  
"I'm not evil anymore," Cole said.  
  
"I know, but the price must be paid. Even avatars are subject to karma."  
  
The Anubite blurred, and was gone. Cole stood there for a moment longer, thinking.  
  
Eventually, he blurred back to the Grimoire. He took it from the stand and restored the illusion that had protected it. Then, he returned to the manor.  
  
"Cole, you did it," Phoebe said.  
  
"Yeah," Cole said dismissively. "We should check the Book of Shadows, and see if there's any way to destroy it."  
  
Cole blurred them all to the attic, and he placed the Grimoire on the pedestal next to the Book of Shadows.  
  
"Woah," Piper said, looking around. "That was quick."  
  
"Sorry, force of habit," Cole said. "Now, the book."  
  
"We already tried that," Paige said. "There's no spell to get rid of the Grimoire."  
  
"Really?" Cole said. He placed his hands on the two books, and began to chant in a dead language. A red glow flowed from his hands. He quickly finished the spell, and lowered his hands. "Try now."  
  
"What did you do?" Piper asked.  
  
"It's just a spell to reveal what was hidden," Cole said. "There's a lot of information in the Book of Shadows that you don't know about. There's even a chapter on avatars."  
  
"What's an avatar?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"That's what I am now," Cole said.  
  
"Is there a vanquishing spell?" Paige asked, smiling sardonically.  
  
"I wish," Cole said.  
  
"Is there a spell to destroy the Grimoire?" Piper asked.  
  
"Yes," Cole said. "But there's a catch. Two, actually."  
  
"There's always a catch," Phoebe said. "Whatever it is, we'll handle it."  
  
Paige looked at the Grimoire, contemplating.  
  
"Let's get started," Piper said. "The sooner we get rid of this thing, the better."  
  
"Wait," Paige said. "Isn't there a spell in here to bring back the dead?"  
  
Cole looked up at her. "Yes, but the magic in this book is evil. You can't use it."  
  
"Why not?" Paige asked.  
  
"Paige!" Piper said.  
  
"What?" Paige said. "If we use the spell for good, it can't really be evil, can it? We can still destroy the book after we cast the spell."  
  
"You can't be serious," Cole said.  
  
"Think about it," Paige said. "We could bring Prue back. What could be evil about bringing back a force of good?"  
  
Phoebe started to speak, but she stopped. She felt as though she had been through this before.  
  
"I want Prue back, but this…" Piper trailed off, looking at the cover of the book. "I don't know."  
  
"You don't know what kind of danger you're dealing with," Cole said. "It's too risky. You could destroy everything that she stood for."  
  
"Maybe Cole is right," Phoebe said.  
  
"You're siding with him now?" Paige asked. "Hello, he's evil."  
  
"I'm not evil," Cole said. "This is too dangerous. You should know that. You know what the Grimoire represents."  
  
"What if it was Phoebe?" Paige asked. "You'd do this for her."  
  
"Phoebe, you know I love you more than anything," Cole said. He looked at Paige. "But no, I wouldn't."  
  
"Cole isn't evil anymore, not completely," Phoebe said. "He wouldn't have given us the Grimoire if he was."  
  
Piper looked at Paige. "I don't trust Cole any more than you do, but we can't use the Grimoire. We have to destroy it, now."  
  
"Yeah, you're right," Paige said. "It was just wishful thinking, I guess."  
  
"So, how do we destroy it?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"That's where the catch comes in. You can't destroy it," Cole said.  
  
"What?" Piper asked. "You said there was a spell."  
  
"There is, but it has some safety mechanisms," Cole said. "The powers that be don't want people going around destroying magic books, so there are some conditions on who can cast the destruction spells."  
  
"Well that's great," Piper said. "Who do we need now? The Source?"  
  
"No," Cole said. "You need the Seer."  
  
"What?" Paige asked.  
  
"Or someone like her," Cole said. "According to the book, the spell will fail unless the person casting it has the gift of foresight. Since we've killed the only demons who could see the future, and no Elder would agree to cast the spell..."  
  
"Why wouldn't an Elder cast the spell?" Piper asked.  
  
"I'm sure most of them would be willing to do it, being paragons of good and all, but apparently there's a rule against Elders committing suicide."  
  
"Wait a minute, back up," Piper said. "Suicide?"  
  
"That's the other catch," Cole said. "Whoever casts the spell will be destroyed along with the book."  
  
"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Piper asked.  
  
"Do you think I enjoy putting you through this?" Cole asked.  
  
"Yes," Paige said.  
  
"Paige, I really am sorry that I tried to kill you, but I was a different person then," Cole said. "I know I can't convince you, and I know that I still deserve to pay for what I did, but we're on the same side this time."  
  
"What about me?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"What about you?" Piper said.  
  
"I have the gift of foresight," Phoebe said. "Why can't I cast the spell?"  
  
"Phoebe, it would kill you," Cole said.  
  
Phoebe took a deep breath. "I know."  
  
"Don't do this," Cole said. "We'll find someone else. Leo broke the rules for Piper, and he's al Elder now. Maybe he'll break the rules for you."  
  
"I can't ask someone else to die for me, especially not Leo," Phoebe said. "I have to do this."  
  
"We'll find another way," Piper said.  
  
"Will we?" Phoebe asked. "We can hide the book, but they'll find it. We can try to keep it here, but it'll attract every demon in existence, and we can't stop all of them. What else can we do?  
  
"I don't know," Piper said. "But I'm not going to let you die."   
  
"You know I have to do this," Phoebe said.  
  
"You're not serious about this," Paige said. "Are you?"   
  
"Does this sound like a joke to you?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"Leo!" Piper shouted. "Leo!"  
  
"What are you doing?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"I'm trying to get some advice," Piper snapped. "Leo!"  
  
They could all hear a chiming sound that seemed to come from nowhere.  
  
"Hey!" Piper shouted. "Don't you dare jingle at me! You had better get your Elder ass down here right now! I know you can hear what we're talking about!"  
  
"He knows I'm right," Phoebe said. 'He'd come if he knew another way."  
  
Piper knew that that was why he wasn't coming, and it was too much to take at that moment. Piper broke down and cried. She put her head on Phoebe's shoulder, and Phoebe began to cry with her.  
  
"God, you're really gonna do this, aren't you?" Paige said.  
  
"I could stop you," Cole said. "I could take the Grimoire back to where it came from."  
  
"But you won't," Phoebe said. "If there is any good left in you, you won't sacrifice the world just to save me."  
  
"I might," Cole said. "But it isn't up to me. If this is the only way to get rid of the Grimoire... There's nothing I can do."  
  
"Cole," Phoebe said. "Thank you, I know this isn't easy for you. And I'm sorry I didn't try to help you the last time you were here. I was just afraid that something else would happen, that I might turn evil again if I let myself get close to you."  
  
"I wish I could say that I understand why you did it, but I don't," Cole said. "There was no way to know that the Source would possess me. And nothing like that is going to happen again."  
  
"I want to believe that, but something always seemed to happen. First it was the brotherhood, then it was the Source, and then you were corrupted by the demonic powers from the wasteland," Phoebe said. "I'm sorry."  
  
"So am I," Cole said. "I'm sorry about everything that happened to us."  
  
"Goodbye Cole," Phoebe said.  
  
Cole shut his eyes, and took a deep breath. "Goodbye Phoebe."  
  
Phoebe then turned to her older sister. "Piper, you've always been around when I needed you. You had faith in me, even when I wasn't sure of myself. You're my rock, Piper. And I'm glad you're here now. I wouldn't be alive to do this if it wasn't for you."  
  
"Phoebe, please..." Piper said. "What can I do without you? You're the only one left. First it was mom, and then Grams, and Andy, and Prue. And now... now you're the only person who was with me all my life. I can't go on alone."  
  
"You're not alone," Phoebe said. "You've got Paige, Leo, and Wyatt now. You'll be all right."  
  
"What about the power of three?" Piper said. "We are the power of three. We were lucky to find Paige when we did, but if you die, it's all over."  
  
"Maybe this was our destiny," Phoebe said. "We are the most powerful witches in history. We destroyed the Source of all evil, and now we can make sure that no one will ever have to deal with another one. What more could we do?"  
  
"You think it's our destiny to die?" Piper asked. "I sure as hell don't. That's not what we were called to do."  
  
"Please, don't make this any harder than it already is," Phoebe said.  
  
"I want it to be hard for you," Piper said. "I want you to change your mind, before it's too late."  
  
"Goodbye Piper," Phoebe said.  
  
"I am not saying goodbye." Piper turned her head away angrily.  
  
"Paige," Phoebe said. "I remember when we first found out about you. I wasn't sure about anything back then, so close to Prue's death. But now I look at you, and I am amazed by you. If someone had told me that I could love you as much as I loved my other sisters, I wouldn't have believed them. But I do."  
  
"I love you too, Phoebe," Paige said. "Before I met you, I didn't know what it meant to have a sister. Now I don't know how I'm gonna live without you."  
  
"You'll manage," Phoebe said. "I didn't think I could live without Prue, but we survived. You're a survivor, Paige. And Piper needs you."  
  
"She needs you," Paige said. "We both do."  
  
"Don't try to stop me," Phoebe said. "I don't think I could take it."  
  
"All right, I won't," Paige said. "I just wish I could take your place."  
  
"Goodbye Paige," Phoebe said.  
  
Paige wiped her hand across her eyes. "Goodbye."  
  
Phoebe put her hands over the books. As her hand moved over the Grimoire, she could feel the dark magic holding her back. It was though she was being repelled by a magnet. Then, the book of shadows opened on its own, revealing the spell.  
  
She looked at the spell, but it was written in strange symbols that she didn't recognize. The power that would destroy the Grimoire was older than language; created the day good and evil were created. It was as old as the world itself. And as Phoebe looked at the symbols, she realized that somehow, she could read them.  
  
"Stand back," Phoebe said.  
  
"No," Piper said. "If you want to do this, you'll have to kill me too."  
  
Paige and Piper blurred, and suddenly they were standing a few feet away.  
  
"Cole!" Piper shouted.  
  
"I'm sorry," Cole said.  
  
"You're killing her. Don't you get that?" Piper said.  
  
"We don't have the right to stop her," Cole said.  
  
"I'll miss all of you," Phoebe said. "But I know I'll be watching over you."  
  
Phoebe then looked at the books, and started chanting rhythmically. None of them, not even Cole, understood the words of the spell, but it had an almost hypnotic quality to it. Somehow, they knew that it was a spell to summon the strength to destroy the Grimoire. She was calling on the ancient power and the eldest of gods. In that one spell, she invoked all that was good in the world, from the wisdom of the Elders to the love of her sisters, and the power of the Halliwell witches.  
  
A wall of flame rose from the floor, obscuring Phoebe. But they could still hear her chanting steadily from within the fiery circle.  
  
Piper and Paige held onto each other as they watched, unable to move or speak. The circle of fire was slowly moving inward, tightening like a noose.  
  
"I can't watch this," Cole said, and he blurred out. 


	19. Everything Deep

Cole appeared in the wasteland. He had come to think of it as his home in the long years since his death in the alternate timeline. In that time, he could have left whenever he wanted, but he had no where to go.  
  
He held out his hand. The power of his energy balls had been magnified when he became an avatar. What had once been a crackling blue sphere of energy had become like a star, burning like a miniature sun with the power of an atomic bomb.  
  
He hurled the sphere into the distance, and a tall pillar of stone was turned to molten glass and vapor. Although the blast was nearly out of sight, he could feel the heat from the explosion.  
  
Cole shouted out his frustration. Then, he slumped down, and sat on the same rock that Phoebe had found him on only a short time ago.  
  
Cole heard a familiar sound near him, and could see blue light reflecting off the dust that surrounded him. He didn't bother to look up.  
  
"Cole," Leo said, gently.  
  
"What is it?" Cole asked.  
  
"You did the right thing."  
  
Cole stood up and faced Leo, not bothering to cover his anger. "What? When I let Phoebe die? When I let my one true love kill herself? Is that what you're talking about?"  
  
"You were willing to give her up to save people that you've never even met. For you, it was the ultimate sacrifice, but when the time came, you made the right decision," Leo said.  
  
"It doesn't feel like the right decision," Cole said.  
  
"I know," Leo said. "It's never easy to lose someone that you care about. But trust me when I say that this will all work out for the greater good."  
  
"The greater good?" Cole said. "So what? I've lost the only person I care about."  
  
"I know that isn't true," Leo said. "You would've taken the Anubite's offer if you didn't care about the greater good."  
  
"What do you know about the Anubite?" Cole asked.  
  
"I know that he stopped caring a long time ago," Leo said. "He's consumed by evil now, and that's all he can offer you."  
  
"He wants me to help him cause Armageddon. I won't do it, but... he says I'll give in. He said it was in my nature," Cole said.  
  
"He's right. If you don't try to change, he'll find a way to get to you," Leo said. "But we can help you. The Elders have been fighting the Anubite ever since he turned. We can help each other."  
  
"What's in it for me?" Cole asked.  
  
"If you don't want to change, we have nothing to talk about," Leo said. He began to orb away.  
  
"Wait," Cole said. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that the way it sounded."  
  
Leo rematerialized, and he looked intently at Cole. "What's really bothering you, Cole?"  
  
"I don't think I can change," Cole said. "Phoebe was right. Every time I tried to be good, something would make me evil again. I was born a demon, and that's all I was meant to be."  
  
"You really believe that, don't you?"  
  
"I don't know anymore," Cole said. "Right now, all I want to do is go back and save Phoebe, but I know it would harm too many people."  
  
"Follow me," Leo said. "I want to show you something."  
  
Leo orbed, and Cole followed him. They appeared on the steps of a massive, white temple surrounded by clouds.  
  
"Where are we?" Cole asked.  
  
"Holy ground," Leo said. He put his hand against one of the ornate doors. "Can you feel that?"  
  
Cole put his hand against the door. "Protective magic."  
  
"Only people with good hearts can enter the temple," Leo said. "Only whitelighters or Elders, or people worthy of becoming whitelighters."  
  
Leo opened the temple door. "Come on."  
  
"The protective magic's too strong," Cole said. "I can't get through."  
  
"Try," Leo said.  
  
Cole braced himself for the jolt of magic, and stepped through the temple's doorway. He felt nothing.  
  
"Do you still think you were destined to be evil?" Leo asked.  
  
Cole looked at the vast hallway. It was white marble, with pillars stretching from the floor to the tall ceiling. Faint silver writing was everywhere, on the walls, the floor, and on every surface. They were all names, innumerable names.  
  
Leo touched one of the pillars. "These are the names of every person able to enter the temple, and every person that ever will be. They were written here the day the temple was created, and they'll never change."  
  
"I've never heard of this place," Cole said.  
  
"Look there," Leo said, pointing to a name written on the wall a short distance away.  
  
"What is it?" Cole asked.  
  
"It's your name, Cole," Leo said. "You've always been here. When I saw you let go of Phoebe, even though you cared about her more than you ever cared about your own life, I knew you were ready."  
  
Cole looked at the carefully drawn inscription. He was at a loss for words. After a moment, he realized that Leo was walking down the long hallway. Cole followed him.  
  
"Why is this place here?" Cole asked. "What is the protection magic for?"  
  
"We use it to protect the things that matter most. Let me show you," Leo said. He led Cole up to a doorway at the heart of the temple. The hallway split off at that point, and continued in both directions, encircling the room. Leo opened the door.  
  
The room was small, less than half the height of the rest of the temple. There were no names written here. The only things in the room were a simple, rectangular stand, and the ancient urn that it held.  
  
"What is it?" Cole asked.  
  
"This is the source of all good," Leo said. "This is where all the powers of the Elders and whitelighters and witches come from. Even the powers of the Greek gods are stored here."  
  
"This is your answer to the Source?" Cole asked.  
  
"The original source of all good was human, just like the first source of all evil," Leo said. "But the source of good realized that it was too much power for any person, so the source created a council of Elders, and put its power into the urn. That's the difference between good and evil, Cole. Evil only cares about itself, but good is self-sacrificing. That's why you can be here now."  
  
"Great," Cole said. "If you try to do the right thing, the universe just rewards you with pain."  
  
"I know it seems that way," Leo said. "But that's the paradox of evil. Being evil is the easy road, but it only ends in pain. Being good can be painful, but it's worth it. You'll learn that in time, if you stay with us."  
  
"All right, I'll help you," Cole said. "I just want to go back and find out what happened to Phoebe. Then, I'll be back."  
  
"Wait," Leo said. "You shouldn't go."  
  
"Why not?" Cole asked.  
  
"Because you are still controlled by your emotions," Leo said. "If you go down there now and see what happened to Phoebe, the Anubite will turn it against you. He'll use your emotions to convince you to join him."  
  
"How?" Cole said. "Phoebe saved me, back when I was just another demon. I was just Belthazor, until I found her. I can't just ignore her now."  
  
"She did help you, and you should be grateful for that," Leo said. "But she didn't save you. You had to decide for yourself that you wanted to be good, or her love wouldn't have been able to help you."  
  
"Are you saying I just have to live without knowing what happened to her?"  
  
"No, I'm saying that right now, you have to make a choice about what's most important to you," Leo said. "You'll find out some day, but if you want to be good, you won't go back there yet."  
  
Cole suddenly noticed that there was a woman standing in the doorway behind them. She had a heavy build and grey hair, and her eyes had a piercing gaze. She wore a dark suit like Cole's. Her hands appeared rough with use.  
  
"You aren't alone, Cole," She said. "We can stop the Anubite, with your help."  
  
Cole looked away for a moment. "All right, I'll stay away."  
  
"This will work out, I promise you," Leo said. "Here, follow me."  
  
Leo led Cole out of the temple, but the woman lingered for a moment longer. She reached out with her mind, across even higher planes of existence. Her powers as an avatar amplified even further by the energy of the temple. There was one chance to bring about the perfect possible future, but only one person was capable of doing it, and that person had been out of touch with the living for years now. Maggie only hoped that she could reach her in time. 


	20. Thanks of a Grateful Universe

Paige and Piper watched helplessly as the circle of flame tightened. Slowly, agonizingly, it crept closer and closer to their sister. It felt like a nightmare, but they couldn't wake up.  
  
The door behind them flew open suddenly, and a cold wind blew through the room.  
  
"The power of three," Piper said.  
  
"What?" Paige asked.  
  
"Hurry, cast the spell," Piper said. "The power of three will set us free."  
  
Paige immediately joined in the chant. "The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us free. The power of three will set us free."  
  
The ring of fire closed quickly, and there was an explosion at its center. When it cleared, only ashes remained of the Grimoire, and Phoebe collapsed.  
  
"Phoebe!" Paige shouted. She fell to her knees, bending over her sister.  
  
Piper put her hand over her face as if to shield herself. "No. Please, no."  
  
"She's alive," Paige said, looking back at Piper.  
  
"Phoebe!" Piper said, quickly dropping to her knees next to Paige.  
  
Phoebe groaned. "What happened? Why didn't it work?"  
  
"It did work," Paige said. "You destroyed the Grimoire."  
  
"But how did I survive?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"The power of three," Piper said.  
  
"The spell must have been enough to save you," Paige said.  
  
"But the three of us have to cast it together for it to work, and I wasn't," Phoebe said.  
  
"Who cares? You're alive." Piper put her arms around Phoebe as tears of joy obscured her vision. Paige hugged Phoebe as well. They held onto the embrace as long as they could, but they were all physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted by everything that had happened to them. They soon got up and went downstairs, and each of them fell into well-deserved sleep.  
  
**********  
  
Paige sat on the couch next to Phoebe, and gave her a quick smile. Phoebe smiled back at her, but there was sadness behind it. Then, Paige noticed the small photo album that Phoebe had on her lap.  
  
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Paige asked.  
  
Phoebe ran her hand over the picture, taken just after they had been engaged, when everything seemed perfect. It felt like an eternity had passed since then. "I didn't think I'd feel anything, after all this time... but I did."  
  
"You did marry the guy," Paige said. "That's not really something you can forget."  
  
"It's not just that," Phoebe said. "He wasn't evil yesterday, at all. It was like having Cole back the way he was before the Source got to him. I liked it. No one ever made me feel the way Cole did."  
  
"He was a great guy, when you could trust him," Paige said.  
  
"Do you think we were too hard him?" Phoebe asked.  
  
"You and Piper didn't do anything wrong," Paige said. "But I could have been a little easier on him. I didn't want to believe it, but he's changed. He really came through for us."  
  
"Don't blame yourself," Phoebe said. "The last time we saw him, he tried to kill you."  
  
"After what happened yesterday, I'm willing to call it temporary insanity," Paige said. "And if you do want to talk to Cole again, I won't get in the way."  
  
"Thanks," Phoebe said. She looked at the picture again for a moment. "But I don't I'm ready for that. I'm still not sure how I feel about him being back."  
  
"Yeah, I understand," Paige said, putting her arm around Phoebe.  
  
"I just hope Cole understands," Phoebe said.  
  
"I hope so too," Paige said. "I'd hate to have him go insane and kill me again."  
  
"Paige!"  
  
"I'm just saying," Paige said, smiling.  
  
**********  
  
Piper ran her hand over the bed covers, smoothing them. Satisfied, she looked around the room and tried to decide what to take care of next. She crossed her arms and frowned at the layer of dust that had accumulated on the furniture in her room, wondering if she would have time to dust. The house was large, and neither of her sisters seemed especially interested in keeping it clean.  
  
Wyatt chose that moment to orb into her arms.  
  
"Wyatt," Piper said. "You know I love to hold you, but mommy is busy. Wouldn't you like to go play with Aunt Paige for a little while?"  
  
Wyatt answered by putting his head against her shoulder, and clinging tightly to the fabric of her shirt.  
  
"Okay, I'll hold you for a little while, but then I have to get to work," Piper said. She patted Wyatt's back, and started thinking about everything that her family had been through. Leo orbed into the room at that moment. He quickly lowered the golden hood that obscured his face.  
  
"Leo, what are you doing here?" Piper asked.  
  
"Do I need an excuse to see my family?" Leo said.  
  
"I don't really remember, since I hardly ever get a chance to talk to you anymore," Piper said.  
  
"Piper, I am very sorry about that, you know I am," Leo said. "But there was nothing I could do about it."  
  
"Yeah," Piper said, looking at the floor. "Leo... I'm not sure if I can take this long distance relationship anymore."  
  
"I know," Leo said. "I've been thinking about that all the time, ever since we decided to get back together. I know this hasn't been easy for you. I always knew something would have to change. Piper, this isn't easy for me to say. Can we sit down?"  
  
"Leo, what are you trying to tell me?" Piper asked.   
  
"The other Elders..." Leo said. "They think I'm responsible for letting the Source get so close to you. They think I should have been able to uncover his plot sooner."  
  
"That's ridiculous, you did everything you could," Piper said.  
  
"Actually, I agreed with them," Leo said. "Even after I became an Elder, you were still my responsibility. A lot of people could have been hurt because I was too busy worrying about the changes that were happening in my own life."  
  
"So what are they gonna do? Send some of that unspeakable wrath we keep hearing about? If they pull something like that after everything you've done for them, they can say goodbye to the Charmed Ones, because that would be the last straw." Piper looked up at the ceiling and shouted. "You hear that!? If you even touch Leo, I quit!"  
  
"Piper, relax," Leo said. "They're not going to punish me. They just want me to do the work that I know best."  
  
"What does that mean?"  
  
"I won't be an Elder anymore," Leo said. "In fact, I only have one more job to do as an Elder, for you and your sisters. When I've done that, it's over."  
  
"What happens then?" Piper asked.  
  
"I'll be your whitelighter again," Leo said. "I'm home."  
  
Piper cried out happily, and threw her arms around him. As they embraced, Leo performed the duty that he had come to perform. The power began to flow out of him, and she began to remember. She remembered the joy of seeing Prue again, and of seeing her son as a young man, and she remembered the sacrifices that had been made to make a better future possible. It was a painful thing to remember, but she would not trade those memories, those precious few days with her older sister, for anything. 


	21. October 17, 2012 8:15 AM

October 17, 2012. 8:15 AM.  
  
Paige orbed them onto the roof of the tall office building. The Halliwells looked around, wondering who was waiting for them. Tense moments passed as they watched, trying to prepare for the worst.  
  
"Why is it taking so long?" Wyatt asked, looking up at his mother's worried face.  
  
"I don't know," Piper said quietly.  
  
Finally, a dark figure appeared a short distance away, taking a second to come into focus.  
  
"It's over," The Anubite said.  
  
"Paige, now!" Phoebe said.  
  
Paige began to orb them away, but the Anubite waved his hand, and the orbs became solid again. "No more running. It's time to die."  
  
"You think you can threaten my family and get away with it?" Piper said, taking a step forward. "You picked the wrong witch to piss off."  
  
Piper gestured with her hands unleashing the most powerful explosion she was capable of. After so many years of experience, the force of her power was incredible. Few beings existed that could withstand such a blast.  
  
The Anubite caught the energy of the explosion in his hand, and quenched it.  
  
"Don't you get it?" The Anubite said. "I am a god. Your powers mean nothing to me. I only care about what you represent."  
  
A sphere of pure energy formed in the Anubite's hand. "All the good you've done was in vain, because it all ends here. Not just you, but everything. Even avatars will die when this world ends."  
  
"Maybe," Cole said, blurring in behind the Anubite. "But I don't plan to find out today."  
  
"Come to watch your ex-wife die?" The Anubite asked.  
  
Suddenly, the sphere of energy vanished as the Anubite clutched it's head, struggling against the pain that was tearing through his mind. The witches looked, and saw the Leo and Maggie had appeared while they were distracted.  
  
"We got here as quickly as we could," Leo said.  
  
"Cast the spell," Maggie said, concentrating with all of her strength into fighting the Anubite. "I can't hold him for long."  
  
"You can't kill me," The Anubite gasped.  
  
"We don't have to," Leo said. "You're not a god. You were empowered to represent the universe, but you've failed. The powers you have never really belonged to you in the first place."  
  
"So what?" The Anubite said, gritting his teeth, slowly regaining control.  
  
"Watch," Cole said.  
  
Piper began the spell. "In this day, in this hour, we call upon the ancient power."  
  
Phoebe continued. "Prudence, Penelope, Patricia, Melinda, Astrid, Helena, Alora, and Grace."  
  
"Powers of nature rise, course unseen across the skies," Paige chanted.  
  
Wyatt spoke next. "Hear these words, hear our cries, spirits from the other side."  
  
"By the authority of all that is good, by the powers here invoked," Leo said. "You have been judged, and found wanting."  
  
Cole placed his hand against the Anubite's shoulder. "Mundus fortis hospiyto nvenio arca. Danae bitis orum fecit uero ribus. Anubite, we disempower you."  
  
The Anubite howled, and a bright light seemed to glow within him. Slowly, the light faded. The Anubite collapsed.  
  
Slowly, shakily, the Anubite stood. His face appeared human now. He began to back up, away from the witches.  
  
"You did it. I didn't think it was possible," The Anubite said. "Are you going to kill me now?"  
  
"We're not going to kill you," Leo said.  
  
"We don't have to," Cole said. "Your plans failed, and you've lost your powers."  
  
The Anubite continued to back up. "What makes you think my plans failed? It didn't go exactly the way I expected, but you've given me exactly what I wanted."  
  
"Huh?" Paige said.  
  
"I wanted a way out," The Anubite explained. He stepped up onto the ledge. "Like I said, it's time to die."  
  
"Wait!" Maggie said.  
  
The Anubite took another step back, and he fell. For a moment, no one spoke.  
  
"Okay, I wasn't expecting that," Paige said, breaking the silence.  
  
"That's all he wanted? Escape?" Maggie said. "He really was insane."  
  
"Insane, evil," Cole said. "He didn't care who he hurt, as long as he got what he wanted."  
  
"He tried to fight the universe, and he lost," Leo said. "I'm just glad it's over."  
  
"Come on," Piper said, taking Wyatt's hand. "Let's go home."  
  
Leo put his arms around Piper and Wyatt. "Paige, Phoebe, are you coming?"  
  
"We'll be right behind you," Phoebe said.  
  
"All right," Leo said. "We'll see you back at the house."  
  
Leo orbed out, and Maggie blurred.  
  
"Cole," Phoebe said, taking a few steps toward him. "It's been a long time."  
  
"I know," Cole said. "For a long time, I didn't know if you were alive or dead. I didn't find out until they told me that the Anubite was planning to attack you. I guess they were worried that I'd make a deal with the Anubite to protect you if I found out sooner. Maybe they were right; I don't know."  
  
"Well, whatever they were worried about, I'm glad you got here when you did," Phoebe said. "We couldn't have stopped him without you."  
  
"Any time," Cole said. He turned to leave.  
  
"Cole," Phoebe said. He turned to look at her. "Now that you know I'm alive... maybe you should stop by the house some time."  
  
Cole smiled. "I'll see you tonight."  
  
"Great," Phoebe said, smiling back.  
  
They smiled at each other for a moment longer. Reluctantly, Cole blurred away.  
  
"Phoebe, did you just make a date with Cole?" Paige asked.  
  
"Yeah, I did," Phoebe said, looking dreamily at the morning skyline.  
  
Paige smiled. "Good for you."  
  
Paige took Phoebe's hand, and they orbed home. Finally, their family was whole again, they way it was meant to be. 


	22. Epilogue

Prue watched as the flames died down, and Phoebe collapsed. If Prue had been alive, she would have held her breath as she waited. Luckily, Paige didn't waste any time getting to her fallen sister. Prue finally relaxed when she heard that Phoebe had survived.  
  
"It worked," Prue said, resting her head in her hands.  
  
"Are you all right?" Andy asked.  
  
"Yeah," Prue said. "I just... part of me just wanted a chance to talk to her again."  
  
"Prue." Andy put his arm around her. "I know it's hard, but it's normal to feel that way. I felt the same way when you died."  
  
"I miss them so much," Prue said. "But I'm not worried anymore. I think I understand now."  
  
"Understand what?"  
  
"Everything," Prue said. "Destiny isn't just a word. Nothing can hurt them, because they were meant to win. Whatever is out there is bigger than books and demons and avatars, and it wants good to come out of this. The Anubite doesn't stand a chance."  
  
"Prue," Andy said, looking at the sisters, "I think you're right."  
  
"Good," Prue said, smiling. She leaned in and kissed him. But the moment didn't last long.  
  
"Ahem."  
  
Prue and Andy both turned to see Patricia and Penelope Halliwell standing behind them.  
  
"Mom, Grams," Prue said. "Where were you?"  
  
"We were talking to the Elders," Patty said. "They weren't happy about the way your Grams acted during that time travel ordeal you went through."  
  
"What? Why?" Prue asked.  
  
"Oh, you know how they are," Grams said. "They said I "told you too much" and I "shouldn't have faked a premonition" and I should "let them handle things." Just the usual."  
  
"Wait, you faked a premonition?" Prue asked.  
  
"It was no big deal," Grams said. "Phoebe already had the premonition, I just wanted to get them all talking about it."  
  
"But that's not even your power," Andy said.  
  
"They were all too busy to worry about that," Grams said. "Besides, I could have made something about Melinda and latent powers and family lines. Premonitions do run in the family."  
  
"I still can't believe you did it," Patty said.  
  
"Relax," Grams said. "You're starting to sound like one of Them."  
  
"All right, I'll back off," Patty said.  
  
"Hey, it was just getting interesting," Prue said impishly.  
  
"Too bad," Grams said.  
  
"How are you doing, Prue?" Patty asked.  
  
"I'll be fine." Prue hesitated. "But it hurts to be away from my sisters."  
  
"I know," Patty said, giving Prue a brief hug. "I remember the first time I was called back. It wasn't an easy time for me, because I knew I'd have to give you up again. But I'm glad I had the chance to go back. It just takes time."  
  
"And family," Grams said. "You know we're always here if you need us."  
  
"That's right," Patty said. "I know I couldn't have handled coming back alone. There's no shame in wanting a shoulder to cry on."  
  
"We're all here for you," Andy said.  
  
"Thanks," Prue said.  
  
The four spirits floated down through the floor, and began to walk out. When they reached the door, Penny opened it with a wave of her hand.  
  
"I hate walking through doors," Grams said. "Besides, there's no reason to let a perfectly good power go to waste."  
  
They walked out onto the front steps. One by one, Penelope, Patricia, and Andy faded out, heading back across the great divide.  
  
Prue took one last look at the house, and smiled. "You'll be fine."  
  
As she faded, she slowly waved her hand, closing the door. 


End file.
